2001 Summit Meetings

In May and June, four meetings were held in the Northeastern Region to develop program, administrative, and legislative recommendations to address the 15 goals and 40 related objectives regarding economic development in Illinois that were identified at the 2000 Summit Meetings. Specifically, participants were asked to 1) identify recommendations for action to be implemented at the state level, and 2) identify priority objectives for the region and program, administrative, and legislative recommendations to be implemented at the regional level. (For more information about the Five-Year State and Regional Economic Development Strategy, see the links on the bottom of the previous page.)

The following section contains a draft list of recommendations generated at these meetings. All recommendations from individual worksheets and group discussions have been included in this draft, though detailed recommendations and those containing several examples have been summarized. In addition, some recommendations have been moved to a different goal or objective category. For example, workforce education and training recommendations were included under most of the goals/objectives at the summit meeting discussion. Here, most of these recommendations are listed only under the specific workforce goal.

• Provide funding and tax-related incentives for courses/programs designed to build and upgrade basic workplace skills and encourage continual career-related training. For example, increase funding for workplace training programs such as Prairie State 2000, DCCA, ITP, and expand the JTED grant programs.
• Build partnerships with industries to develop and promote lifelong-learning curriculum (see Fel Pro, S&C Electric, and Danville models)
• Support incumbent worker training by, for example, providing grants to employers through the Workforce Board and IETC for training current employees, providing grants to CDCs and/or tax incentives to establish incumbent workforce training programs.
• Provide continuing education/life-long learning opportunities through existing resources. For example, develop neighborhood centers with access to internet (in addition to existing libraries and coffee houses); open school computer labs to the community during after-school hours; provide more web-based courses that employees can use at work on employers’ equipment; and provide training through junior colleges.
• Support joint programs between the community and trade schools.
• Offer a variety of targeted training programs, such as growth industry-oriented training and basic computer training in regions with little access to computers.
• Market programs to businesses, and publish success stories.
• Promote continual education cross-training. Provide "interval training" for workplace skills and issues.

• Create a research and development presence.
• Provide funds for the development of municipally focused research facilities.
• Increase state involvement in generating labor market information for local areas. For example, establish a research and development team that produces a monthly/quarterly newsletter on economic development opportunities in Illinois.
• Improve the state’s ability to provide data in smaller geographic units.
• Increase university funding for research.
• Market key events—such as the opening of new labs.
• Promote university-based technology transfer and commercialization efforts.
• Provide tax incentives to companies seeking to use university-based research.
• Increase university funding for industry-related research.
• "Interconnect IL web backbone."

• Nurture the state’s venture capital industry and expand access to the regional, national and the international investment community.
• Establish sector-based technology centers to bring venture capital, technical assistance, and modernization assistance to companies.
• Create an insurance industry investment equity fund.
• Create a state venture fund to invest in private spin-offs from non-profit organizations.
• Support the Federal Reserve’s SECAP initiative.
• Develop annual marketing plan.
• Support Illinois’ emerging industries, in health sciences and information technologies and add value to the state’s agricultural clusters of biotechnology industries.
• Develop industry targeted strategic plan that incorporates grants/scholarship to students who major in these fields, thereby increasing the labor in Illinois for that area.
• Re-examine technology transfer laws pertaining to biotechnology.
• Promote grains and beans as sources of fuel.
• Publish an annual agriculture status report.
• Promote organic agricultural and other sustainable practices.

• Assist the entrepreneurs and innovators to secure venture capital.
• Establish a statewide "angel" network.
• Look at the Connections Program at the Center for Neighborhood Technology as a model.
• Create insurance industry investment equity fund.
• Develop relationship between treasures office and banking institution to allow low-interest loans.
• Create a database or clearinghouse regarding sources of venture capital.
• Establish curriculum to quality entrepreneurs for venture capital program.
• Nurture new ventures and startups by providing business services.
• Expand SBDC network.
• Review existing services and simplify/consolidate programs and access to programs.
• Provide technical assistance for new ventures.
• Expand the services offered through the Main Street program.
• Development a mentor program to provide technical assistance.
• Expand SBA presence.
• Support the incubation of high technology firms and the products they introduce.
• Increase funding for incubators through tax incentives and other options. For example, provide grants based on job creation.
• Provide technical assistance to existing manufacturing companies to encourage computer integrated "MP6"
• Explore implementing a project based on the "Ben Franklin Partnership"
• Develop entrepreneurial and mentor programs.
• Hire successful entrepreneurs to mentor.
• Expand capacity of existing SBDCs.
• Support local chambers and community groups.
• Provide networking and mentoring among new start-ups.
• Facilitate student internships through tax incentives.
• Support and promote opportunities to link schools and entrepreneur.
• Develop programming targeting low-income population to eliminate sanctions for entrepreneurial activities.
• Encourage work/live zoning.

• general recommendations
• Publish a location (real estate) database.
• Provide development assistance tax credit for donations to CDCs.
• Design and maintain a database of state, county city resources.
• Eliminate barriers to redevelopment.
• Market the advantages of the state to high tech entrepreneurs and companies.
• Develop/expand a marketing web-site.
• Actively market latest breakthrough in technology that occur in the state, promote high tech corridors, and "fiber hubs".
• Establish collaborative efforts with world business centers.
• Support retention of Illinois' diverse base of small, medium and large firms.
• Focus on retention, not attraction.
• Establish state funded industrial retention and development centers using the SBDC model.
• Establish and fund aggressive calling program and SWAT team to address urgent needs identified.
• Streamline state process: develop One-Stop centers, streamline paper work, eliminate unnecessary regulations.
• Review tax structure and design a structure more favorable to business .
• Use TIF to encourage business expansion and development.
• Require that Boeing-type packages be matched with small business packages.
• Offer tax credits to utilities that provide infrastructure to local communities.
• Change legislation to allow tourism funds to be used in the Main Streets program.
• Increase coordination between state and local govt.
• Add value to existing resources to build the export base of manufacturers, business services, component suppliers, etc.
• Increase funding for existing international trade centers.
• Continue research to identify industry clusters and key industries.
• Support modernization in existing firms.

• Expand the availability of services and market information to small- and mid-sized firms to meet their international trade strategies.
• Provide technical assistance to help businesses establish international trade strategies.
• Provide basic research as part of small business assistance.
• Support and expand network of trade offices.
• Build on Illinois destination sites for both leisure and business travelers.
• Establish links between DCCA and Tourism bureau.
• Create a fund to support neighborhood-based tourism.
• Promote specific local sites as tourism destinations, for example Chicago Wilderness sites and ethnic neighborhoods.
• Improve public transportation for tourists and travelers.
• Continue investment in transportation sources
• Position Illinois as a location for global companies.
• Increase collaborative efforts with world business centers.
• Market the transportation network and other advantages.
• Actively pursue California firms.

• Expand manufacturing modernization services.
• Provide tax incentives for modernization needs.
• Establish e-commerce centers in SBDCs.
• Establish low-interest loan fund.
• Develop technology transfer program with Argonne and Fermi.
• Increase assistance and counseling for small businesses.
• Provide single point of entry and coordinate the various small business assistance programs.
• Provide development assistance tax credit for donations to CDCs.
• Market web resources.
• Increase funding for SBDCs
• Promote the use of CBOs for technical assistance. Increase funding opportunities for CBOs.
• Provide relevant and comprehensive market data to small- and mid-sized firms.
• Provide market data on state web page that includes census data.
• Support local research efforts.
• Create a state agency specifically to handle data.

• Adopt modern business practices in government.
• Improve efficiency at all levels of government.
• Train government employees to be "customer friendly."
• Upgrade technology.
• Use the benchmarking approach using public and private sector.
• Create to demonstrate best practices in quality work/life in public institutions.
• Provide state workers the opportunity to change professions while remaining with the state.
• Use public/private partnerships to deliver innovative public services.
• State government should function as wholesaler/broker of services, with SBDC network providing actual assistance.
• Outsource for best service delivery, when appropriate.
• Establish working groups of businesses and government to develop appropriate programs.
• Use digital technology to improve and transform service delivery.
• Provide services on-line, including forms.
• Market the availability of information and assistance on web sites
• Provide real estate data on-line.
• Make use of geographic advantages regarding electronic data infrastructure.

• Fund advanced broadband and wireless infrastructure.
• Support community hubs that include local providers in contract.
• Review Telecommunications Act and amend, as appropriate.
• Encourage broadband competition.
• Improve access to fiver optic system.
• Maintain Illinois’ transportation infrastructure such as highways.
• Develop a long-range transportation strategic plan that addresses all transportation modes--highways, high-speed rail, inter-model freight, and airport capacity.
• Combine the toll way authority and IDOT.
• Keep gas tax and tolls, streamline toll authority workforce.
• Insist on quality materials and warranties from contractors.
• Use recycled tires in road construction.

• Enhance public safety and health services.
• Improve health care delivery by: monitoring HMOS more closely; adopting a single-payer model; providing affordable health insurance to all; providing facilities in underserved areas; revamping the vaccination system; improving reimbursement rates.
• Develop and enforce strong building codes.
• Provide funds for sewer development in area that can no longer depend upon septic systems.
• Address environmental issues regarding water quality.
• Increase recreational and cultural amenities.
• Support local/neighborhood tourism.
• Support projects to make communities pedestrian and bike friendly.
• Increase public transportation access to cultural and recreational attractions.
• Build cultural connections among urban, suburban, and rural population in Illinois.

• Manage and recycle resources efficiently.
• Promote transit-oriented development.
• Promote sensible-growth strategies.
• Mandate recycling in public buildings.
• Promote recycling and re-use in public campaign.
• Coordinate regional land uses and balanced growth.
• Support regional comprehensive plan development and use.
• Support House Bill 505.
• Support the development of local land-use plans.
• Support tax sharing.
• Provide training and technical assistance on regional land use planning.
• Provide assistance to NIPC to develop regional comprehensive plan.
• Provide assistance to local municipalities to conform to plan.