Illinois' top Democratic leaders call a $70 million federal grant awarded to the UI Labs initiative a 'game changer' for how manufacturing is handled in the United States.
The grant from the Department of Defense will help fund a Chicago-based digital manufacturing facility. It will be matched by more than $250 million from more than 700 industrial partners.
Those partners are with UI Labs - a public-private partnership led by the University of Illinois that includes not only industry, but also other Midwest schools including Southern Illinois University and Southwestern Illinois College.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) says it wouldn't have happened without mutual backing from those across the political aisle:
"Senator Mark Kirk, my Republican colleague, and the entire delegation were behind this. I don't think there's any partisanship in creating new jobs through innovative approaches. The president's leadership gave us this opportunity, and on a bipartisan basis we followed through."
UI Labs Interim Executive Director Caralynn Nowinski says the Chicago digital hub will take advantage of partners outside Chicago, like Peoria-based Caterpillar and Quad Cities-based Deere and Company, setting up similar facilities elsewhere.
The manufacturing lab was unveiled as part of Governor Pat Quinn's 2013 State of the State speech. Multiple sources, including the Chicago Tribune, say President Barack Obama plans an official announcement of the manufacturing hub Tuesday, along with plans for another facility in Detroit.
