Entrepreneurial Eco-System in Chicago is Evolving

MEM Director Mark Werwath highlights two start-up resources

Source: Argonne National LaboratoryBy Mark Werwath, MEM Director

For hard science based startups, where properly outfitted laboratory space and access to laboratory equipment, facilities, and experts in their field are important, there is a key new resource available - the accelerator at Argonne National Labs known as Chain Reactions Innovations (CRI).

This new, two-year program is highly selective.  It focuses on providing the resources needed for science-based startups to succeed in progressing their technologies, and the science behind them, while providing access to some of the leading experts, equipment, and facilities in the world.  Although the value of the resources provided are substantial, valued in the millions of dollars, accessing these resources is no small feat and the process itself is as competitive as the most competitive colleges and university programs.

While CRI is not for every startup, it is a facility for startups based in hard science that need the proper equipment and facilities to validate their technology.  These startups also need support defining their technologies’ capabilities and processes for manufacture and scaling. This is not a short term project. The teams that enter CRI are committed to a two-year journey that arguably is unequaled (outside of the other national labs programs around the country) anywhere in the startup ecosystem here in Chicago.

At the same time, some might say this is a golden age for entrepreneurship, especially in Chicago as there has been an explosion of incubators and co-working spaces that are being leveraged every day. The entrepreneurial community at Built in Chicago has compiled a list of some of the leading co-working spaces in Chicago. While there is some differentiation in terms of tiers of offerings, types of startups they attract, and the size of the team accommodated, what clearly distinguishes these spaces are their individual locations which help paint Chicago as an ever-evolving mosaic of startup spaces, cultures and “vibes”. Gone are the days when 1871 alone defined every and all things entrepreneurial in Chicago.

Whereas most of these co-working spaces can’t provide all the facilities and expertise of CRI, not all startups have those needs. The beauty of Chicago at this stage is that the eco-system is expanding to meet the needs of a wide variety of startups.  While the façade of an eco-system was in place a few years ago, that façade is quickly being filled-in with substance of true value to the science, engineering and tech-based startups emerging in Chicago. I submit that now, Chicago is finally getting serious about entrepreneurship and has some real momentum moving us in the right direction.

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