New biotech facility promotes early start-ups

Gov. Pat Quinn: “thriving, cutting-edge life sciences sector creates jobs while improving people’s lives.” Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin/UIC Photo Services

UIC and the Illinois Medical District will be partners in a new facility to foster early start-up ventures in the life sciences.

Gov. Pat Quinn joined university and city officials at a ribbon-cutting April 24 announcing Health, Technology, Innovation, a $3.4 million hub for biotechnology at the Chicago Technology Park on the west side of campus.

HTI, funded through a $1.7 million state capital investment and matching university funds, is an initiative of EnterpriseWorks Chicago, part of the UI Office of the Vice President for Research.

The facility, located at 2242 W. Harrison St. in a building that includes the UIC Sleep Center, will have 12,000 square feet of laboratories and space for offices, meetings and classes. It is expected to open mid-summer.

“Illinois’ thriving, cutting-edge life sciences sector creates jobs while improving people’s lives,” Quinn said at the ribbon cutting.

“The HTI will drive further growth in the field, serving as a key resource for our medical science researchers and providing a new platform through which innovative ideas can be developed and introduced to the marketplace.”

HTI will work with projects and companies early in the commercialization process, said EnterpriseWorks director Kapila Viges. The initiative will work with the Office of Technology Management to focus primarily on UIC technologies, but the facilities and programs are open to other researchers and entrepreneurs.

For more information on HTI and EnterpriseWorks, email EWChicago@uillinois.edu