The United States stands on the brink of a new era of innovation. Advances in technology are reshaping our economy and national security, from digitization driven by semiconductors to breakthroughs in quantum science and health sciences. These innovations are creating new opportunities and transforming research in ways that will benefit nearly every aspect of our lives.
However, the U.S. faces fierce global competition, especially from China. Under its 14th Five-Year Plan, China is making massive investments in strategic technologies. Central to China's strategy is a top-down approach of establishing 1,000 innovation ecosystems—the most aggressive strategy of its kind in the world.
To compete, the U.S. must expand the number of people and places contributing to and benefiting from the innovation economy, bolster regional collaboration, and invest in big ideas and projects. But we must do even more than that.
Our organizations recently partnered to host the latest "Competitiveness Conversations Across America" at Purdue University, bringing together leaders from industry, national labs, universities, labor, and government. The goal was to identify the "next practices" that will drive productivity and prosperity, disrupting the status quo and elevating America's innovation trajectory.
The Indiana-Illinois Corridor—from Chicago to Champaign-Urbana to West Lafayette—is a prime example of where place-based innovation is thriving. Home to key higher education institutions such as Purdue and the University of Illinois, this region has a dynamic academic environment that fosters world-class researchers, as well as the high-tech workforce of the future. The academic powerhouses of the region have built fruitful partnership with two national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab, which gives their faculty and students access to one-of-a-kind research facilities. At Argonne, that includes some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, including Aurora, which is maximized for AI, and the Advanced Photon Source, one of the most productive X-ray light sources in the world. Tools like this—too elaborate for businesses or universities to build and operate on their own—are the proving ground for semiconductor development, quantum science, new materials, and advanced biology.
These technologies are not just vital to U.S. competitiveness; their convergence in the Corridor is driving local and regional economic growth. As emphasized during our Competitiveness Conversation, this intentional commingling of disciplines will trigger the next wave of innovation and productivity for decades to come.
Achieving this potential requires creative collaboration across organizations. Startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies—crucial stakeholders in our innovation ecosystem—must have access to these technologies to create value at scale. Effective collaboration, supported by robust public policies, is essential to prevent any weak link from compromising the ecosystem’s overall productivity.
This collaborative culture is a cornerstone of the Indiana-Illinois Corridor. It's no surprise that on July 25, 2024, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a nearly $4 billion initiative to enhance U.S. competitiveness in quantum computing. The University of Illinois will lead this project, with support from Argonne and Purdue.
Adding to the region's momentum, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently awarded $450 million to SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip manufacturer, to establish a semiconductor plant at Purdue Research Park. These investments underscore the Corridor's growing significance in national and international innovation.
The long-term success of the Indiana-Illinois Corridor hinges on sustained growth and investment. Leaders at the Competitiveness Conversation remain committed to this momentum, but more ideas, innovators, and resources are needed.
As the world changes rapidly and the competitive landscape for control of the next transformative technologies and industries intensifies, the U.S. must remain a leader in innovation to continue to grow and prosper. The Indiana-Illinois Corridor shows what’s possible when organizations align around ambitious goals. Now is the time to expand on this success and deploy innovation on an unprecedented scale. If we do not, our competitors will.
