Nearly every state is focused on promoting innovation. With such a far-reaching concept, however, progress can be a noble if somewhat amorphous goal. To be successful, leaders must have a strong vision, rally numerous stakeholders to their cause, and be able to demonstrate progress. Accomplishing all three is a difficult challenge.
When Governor Pat Quinn convened the Illinois Innovation Council in February 2011, it signaled a new approach. The council, which is made up of business executives and entrepreneurs as well as leaders from science, technology, and academia, was formed to connect the dots between these sectors and to create a more welcoming environment for entrepreneurs and start-ups.
A critical component of this effort was to gain a better understanding of where Illinois is excelling and where it can improve. At the same time, our organizations began meeting to discuss col- laborative approaches that could achieve shared goals: to measure and communicate the status of innovation in metropolitan Chicago and Illinois more effectively and to provide better access to data for analysis by policymakers and the public. These two paths converged, and the Illinois Innovation Index was born.
To read the original article: INNOVATION INDEX - Illinois Innovation Council
