Innovate NOW: Report on Innovation

June 12, 2007

This report provides answers to the questions posed by the Innovate Now program.

• What are businesses doing to compete on innovation?
• How do we build future innovation talent?
• What are the implications for higher education in Illinois?

There is also a framework presented on how businesses compete on innovation with multiple examples of Illinois entrepreneurs, ideas on how to build innovation talent with specific examples from IIT. Lastly, this report provides an overview of what Illinois can do to help build innovation talent, including an integrated multidimensional model of economic learning and a measurement model that can be used to guide the process and offer suggestions for discussion.

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Northwestern University

Innovate! Now: Innovation Report

June, 2007

This report explores what is innovation, and how it is cultivated, and specific examples from multiple programs and colleges within Northwestern University are cited. This report defines innovation as a discipline and also a “team sport.”

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University of Chicago

Strengthening Innovation in Illinois: Report for Innovate! Now

Sean Safford, Linda L. Darragh, Robert Rosenberg

This report examines ways to strengthen local capabilities for innovation in Illinois. It argues that there is no one-size-fits all approach to innovation policy. Rather, different industries have very different needs with respect to innovation depending on their stage of development and their relationship to science and technology. These differences call for policies and programs which are tailored to different populations of companies in the state. We introduce four categories of companies with different styles of innovating: (1) cutting edge science driven industries; (2) mature industries with a significant science and technology base; (3) mature industries with little emphasis on science; and (4) creative industries. We then discuss what the University of Chicago is doing to contribute to building capabilities in each of these areas and conclude with some specific policy recommendations.

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Southern Illinois University

Innovation Report: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

June 2007

Emily Carter, Rex Duncan, Kyle Harfst, Lynn Andersen Lindberg, Robyn Russell

This report examines how academic institutions support economic development in their regions, specifically, Southern Illinois University’s role in the Southern Region of Illinois. The university started a program called Connect SI that is collaborative and community-based. This report provides details about the program and specific examples of innovation practiced by southern Illinois companies.

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