Categories: Post

Chicago’s Potemkin Village: Why our innovation economy has failed, and how to fix it

Since 2012, Chicago has built an estimated 1.5 million square feet of coworking spaces, and about 80 or 90 incubators and accelerators. By any reasonable measure of success, this massive effort has not translated into a competitive market for advanced industries. Chicago has not grown its share of the national venture capital market, and we have not brought more national investment into the region for the purposes of advancing technology. More significantly, Chicago has not kept pace with changes in our industrial economy. Once there were 200,000 Chicagoans employed manufacturing steel; now there are none. With what have we replaced these legacy industries? Thomas Day, the managing partner of Invent2026, will speak about how to leverage the region’s applied research laboratories to build new industries in Chicago–new batteries, sensors for smart farming and monitoring toxins in water, and advanced materials–to reassert Chicago’s presence in the new economy.

c2st

Recent Posts

The Future of Infection Control: mRNA Vaccines for C. diff

Clostridiodes difficile, more commonly called C. diff is a bacteria many people carry in their…

5 days ago

Election Crystal Balls: Are Presidential Polls Accurate?

Did you receive a call or text about participating in a poll during this past…

2 weeks ago

Self Advocacy: How to Feel Heard at the Doctor’s Office

Have you ever felt that your doctor didn't hear you during the ten to fifteen…

2 weeks ago

All Aboard the Electric School Bus: Getting to School the Green Way

Many feelings of nostalgia can arise when one thinks about their time in elementary through…

2 weeks ago

The Secret of Seaside Plants: Exploring How to Grow in Saltwater

The question “How about this crazy weather?” has dominated small talk throughout the ages. While…

3 weeks ago

Tracing Back the Apple: What DNA Analysis Can Tell Us about Evolution

When thinking about ancestry, one can imagine a large apple tree. This tree has various…

3 weeks ago