Governor JB Pritzker today joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to announce a $15.4 million investment in the Rebuild Illinois funded Wet Lab Capital program to support 8 new wet lab spaces throughout Illinois – helping to make way for advancements in research and medicine, grow startups and make Illinois more competitive in life sciences.
The Governor also announced a $5 million capital grant to expand the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) microgrid to optimize energy at the Bronzeville campus. The expansion will yield $200,000 a year in energy savings and on-campus renewable energy generation, as well as savings from reduced outages, damage, and lost experimental productivity.
“Last year, my administration launched a Wet Lab Capital program to meet the technical needs of startups, incubators, and universities across the state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, after receiving so many brilliant applications from project developers across Illinois, I am excited to announce $15.4 million in grants that is funding $90 million worth of wet lab expansions throughout Illinois –in Chicago but also at both of Southern Illinois University’s campuses, at Rosalind Franklin University in the heart of Illinois’ biopharma ecosystem in northern Illinois, and at life science hubs up and down the state.”
The State will leverage $15.4 million in Wet Lab Capital to generate nearly $90 million total in new investment for modern research facilities in communities across Illinois. The Wet Lab Capital program was first launched last year by the Governor, delivering on a key priority in the state’s 5-year economic growth plan. While Illinois remains a leading destination for biotech and research, additional investments are necessary to provide innovative companies access to lab space so they can continue to grow in Illinois. The Wet Lab Capital program is an initiative to boost public/private investments and to increase access to modern lab space.
“As we’ve seen over the past year, innovations to expand research in life sciences as well as technologies that strengthen grid resilience play a critical role in our communities – and it will play a crucial role in our economic recovery as well,” said DCEO Acting Director Sylvia Garcia. “DCEO is proud to award funds to support 8 new wet lab projects that will help bolster medical research and R&D – while also supporting advancements at IIT that create sustainable new sources of energy for our communities. Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois continues to bring forward important investments in 21stcentury infrastructure that will create jobs and keep our communities competitive in today’s 21st century economy.”
Wet Lab Capital grants will support the development of new public and private wet lab spaces, with projects at the state’s top universities and at neighborhood incubators, expansions and improvements of existing space and the creation of new lab spaces in all parts of the state. Funded projects include:
- Back of the Yards Algae Sciences LLC, $250,000.00
- Illinois Institute of Technology, $1,499,569.00
- Northwestern University, $3,000,000.00
- NuMat Technologies, $3,500,000.00
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, $2,007,000.00
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale, $2,734,008.00
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, $1,875,569.00
- University of Illinois Research Park LLC, $550,000.00
Wet labs are where cutting-edge research in life sciences occurs and represent a critical component of research and development for companies in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals/medicines, medical devices and diagnostics, research and manufacturing organizations, and more. Wet lab space is customized with ventilation and other infrastructure needed to handle chemicals and materials commonly associated with biotech research.
