A new report, issued by Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois Research Park, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Office of Corporate Relations indicates further investment is needed in AgTech, MedTech, in Manufacturing as the area looks to post-pandemic economic development. From the press release:
AGTECH: AgTech combines UIUC’s technical expertise and talent in agriculture, engineering and data analytics with Champaign County as a prime growing region for corn and soybeans. Access to farmers as customers and farms as testbeds are important advantages for early-stage companies and the cluster.
MEDTECH: The emerging MedTech cluster in Champaign-Urbana capitalizes upon a relatively new and significant innovation asset, Carle Illinois College of Medicine; combined with UIUC engineering and bioscience expertise and research; and other healthcare innovation assets across the community, including the local hospitals and COVID-19 efforts.
MANUFACTURING: Manufacturing continues to be an important industry for Champaign- Urbana and an economic development priority. Generally, manufacturers in Champaign-Urbana make products that are non-standardized, have a more limited market size, or require customization. A number develop prototypes for entrepreneurs and businesses, including assistance with refining their product designs before scale-up.
The report came after more than 80 interviews with community, business, and university leaders. You can read the full summary here.
Top photo by Anna Longworth.