CHAMPAIGN — Chancellor Robert Jones reassured community leaders Tuesday that expanding the University of Illinois' presence in Chicago won't drain resources from Champaign-Urbana, arguing that two new initiatives there will do "just the opposite."
He also committed to expanding the "wildly successful" UI Research Park in Champaign — with its 100 companies, 2,000 employees and $60 million payroll — arguing that it will be a major draw for Chicago innovators looking to develop startups and use the UI's expertise to become more competitive globally.
Jones was referring to the proposed Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago, a public-private research partnership led by the UI that would anchor a statewide "innovation network," in addition to a new joint project with the University of Chicago in Hyde Park.