Chicago City Wire

State funds have been secured to spur the development of the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), which is expected to place Illinois at the global forefront of innovation. 

The center will house University of Illinois System researchers and faculty members who will work with students, along with businesses, entrepreneurs and investors. The facility will be located in downtown Chicago within Related Midwest’s planned development known as The 78, according to a press release.

“At the helm of innovation and development, The 78 is the perfect home for the Discovery Partners Institute,” Related Midwest President Curt Bailey said in the press release. “The 78 is a blank canvas in the heart of the city that will allow the University of Illinois System to create a global technology-based research institute downtown to attract and meet the demands of next-generation leaders. We look forward to working with DPI to create a transformative neighborhood with unique office space that will be home to industry leading companies, unapparelled transportation options, an accessible riverwalk, and resident and retail options that will drive economic growth for the entire city.”

DPI has already entered into partnerships with the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University.

“Chicago is on the cutting edge of innovative research and development, and the Discovery Partners Institute will take our city to the next level,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in the release. “For researchers, students and businesses looking over the horizon to what's next in discovery and innovation, Chicago is the future.”