About

The University of Illinois System is the state’s largest and most comprehensive public university with universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield.  The U of I System’s three institutions offer over 500 academic programs to more than 80,000 students.  The U of I System’s interactions with state, federal, and local governments are significant and diverse.  It is a $5.6 billion enterprise with an economic impact of almost $14 billion annually, and a sponsored research portfolio of nearly $1 billion.

The Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation (VPEDI) works closely with the president of the U of I System to energize and lead initiatives in support of the university’s economic development mission.  We ensure that innovations grow beyond the university and into the private sector through a pipeline of idea acceleration units and connected partnerships.  The VPEDI pipeline protects, funds, and supports ideas prior to their launch as viable businesses and, in doing so, drives economic development in Illinois, the nation, and the world.

We partner with an amazingly diverse group of thinkers and doers to elevate ideas into reality. Together, we bring ideas to market, ensuring that the most innovative discoveries end up solving real-world problems.

VPEDI at the University of Illinois. Elevating ideas.