Illinois Technology Association (ITA) Initial Launch Partner With Illinois Innovation Network (IIN)

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - May 23, 2011) - The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is honored to collaborate with leading area organizations to bring innovation and inspiration to entrepreneurs and innovation-driven enterprises in Illinois and beyond as a partner in the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN).

The IIN is an initiative of the Illinois Innovation Council (IIC), a diverse group of leaders convened by Governor Pat Quinn, to identify and advance strategies that accelerate innovation, economic growth, and job creation. The duties of the IIC include:

• Promote the role and importance of innovation in economic development and quality of life.
• Partner with academic, business, and governments to improve support for innovation and align public and private resources.
• Attract innovation-driven enterprises and individuals to Illinois in order to expand existing industry clusters and develop new ones.
• Develop policies to cultivate and retain entrepreneurs, innovation researchers, and other enterprises.
• Recommend criteria to measure, index, and communicate Illinois performance as a global source of innovation.
• Establish grant or investment programs to support innovators from research institutions, entrepreneurs, and others.

"ITA is a long-time supporter of the technology community of Illinois across the spectrum of company phases and vertical industries," said Fred Hoch, President, ITA. "From a good idea to leveraging the transformative nature of technology to revolutionize traditional industries, ITA supports the technology ecosystem, offering programs and events to build a more collaborative community, accelerate business growth, generate visibility to the amazing companies that call Illinois home, and foster a relationship with key talent needs for the industry. We couldn't be more excited about collaborating with the great group of institutions who support the growth of our innovation economy."

The initial IIN partners include:

• Argonne National Labs
• Chicago Innovation Awards, ITA a repeat sponsor
• Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
• Clean Energy Trust
• Excelerate Labs
• Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy
• iBIO
• IIT-Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
• Illinois Science and Technology Coalition
• ITA
• Illinois Venture Capital Association
• Northwestern University
• Peoria Next
• Southern Illinois University Research Park
• TechAmerica
• The Incubator
• UIC Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
• UIUC Research Park & Incubator
• University of Chicago/Polsky Center
• World Business Chicago

The IIN exists to promote its members and their services, bringing innovation and inspiration to entrepreneurs and innovation-driven enterprise in Illinois and beyond.

The ITA is developing additional programs to serve the expanding number of entrepreneurs, working in collaboration with other IIN members. Look for announcements in the coming weeks.

To find out more about the IIN, visit http://www.illinoisinnovation.com/.

About the ITA
Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is a driving force behind the growth of Illinois' vibrant technology ecosystem. We are relentless in championing the development and application of technology, from start-up companies to industry leaders, leveraging the transformative nature of technology to revolutionize industries. ITA uniquely capitalizes on peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business to cultivate the Illinois technology industry. The unique and powerful integration of these valuable and experienced resources differentiates the ITA as a source of accelerated growth for the technology industry of Illinois. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org.

Contact the ITA at headquarters@illinoistech.org, follow the discussion on Twitter at @itabuzz, and visit www.illinoistech.org to find out more about how ITA supports the growth of the local industry.