Agencies
Services
Illinois East Central Region
Regional Hubs
- Champaign
- Urbana
- Danville
- Rantoul
- Hoopeston
- Watseka
Counties
- Champaign
- Vermillion
- Iroquois
- Douglas
- Piatt
- Ford
Key Industries
- R&D Manufacturing
- Distribution
- Healthcare
- Food Processing
- Agriculture
- Higher Education
Major Employers and Headquarters
Corporate HQ:
Higher Education
- University of Illinois (#15 nationally ranked public university)
- Danville Area Community College
- Lakeview College of Nursing
- Parkland College
Unique Facts
- Population 361,000+; Workforce approximately 160,000
- The Research Park at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is home to 120+ companies, with more than 2,100 employees and 800 student interns
- Champaign-Urbana has been ranked one of the top 5 startup cities by Silicon Prairie and has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 cities for the number of venture capital firms (per capita)
- The East Central Region is a prime growing region for corn and soybeans. Researchers at the University of Illinois collaborate with local farmers to leverage their expertise and use local farms as testbeds for research and development of early-stage companies.
- The Carle Illinois College of Medicine (established in 2015) is the world's first engineering-based college of medicine and is leveraging advanced technology to train physician-innovators
Region Specific Assistance
Katie Simpson, AICP
East Central Region Manager
217-359-6261
katie.simpson@illinois.gov
The Illinois Department of Commerce is Your One-Stop Resource
- Site Selection
- Customized Workforce Training
- Regional & Local Collaboration
- Expedited Permitting, Licensing & Other Approvals
- Connection to Key Stakeholders and Civic & Business Partners
- Potential Financial Support
- And more!