Leaders in chips, quantum and bioscience demonstrate Indiana-Illinois corridor technology advancement and innovation at Purdue-hosted conference

Leaders from industry, government, academia and national laboratories gathered at Purdue University Monday (Sept. 9) for a conference that highlighted the leading role of the Indiana-Illinois innovation corridor in advancing three critical technologies: semiconductors, quantum science and advanced bioscience.

The full-day event, hosted by the Council on Competitiveness, Purdue, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois System, included discussions on how the regional collaboration among Purdue, Argonne and the University of Illinois is building an unrivaled strategic innovation ecosystem.

The conference, part of a series of Competitiveness Conversations hosted by the Council on Competitiveness, attracted more than 200 leaders from industry, academia, government, national laboratories and economic development organizations. Panels of experts discussed best practices in amplifying innovation capacity and capability as well as how to elevate and deploy these practices for benefit of the nation.

The event also featured several keynotes and remarks from federal representatives and leaders, including U.S. Rep. Jim Baird; Laurie Locascio, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Vanessa Chan, chief commercialization officer and director of the Office of Technology Transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy.