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Illinois' leading business climate features a
thriving research and development community, world-class
educational institutions, a vibrant capital market, a
deep talent pool and an unparalleled transportation
network. This is where the Midwest's culture of hard
work and entrepreneurship continues to grow businesses,
families and fortunes.
- Research and Development
- Over 440 companies operate research and
development facilities in Illinois
- Home to the world's top life science
companies on the cutting edge of biotech R&D
including Abbot Laboratories, Baxter
International, ADM, and Dade Behring
- Illinois colleges and universities spent
$1.6 billion in research and development in
fiscal year 2003
- Workforce
- Illinois boasts a workforce of over 6
million, nearly half of which are professionals,
skilled technicians, craftspeople and machine
operators
- Over 1.2 million people work in biotech and
related fields, including over 210,600 high tech
workers
- Illinois is fifth among U.S. states in
research and development and testing lab
employees with 35,400 workers
- Chicago hosts 26 different ethnic groups
with a population greater than 25,000 and speaks
over 100 languages
- Education
- Illinois is ranked fifth in the nation for
number of colleges and universities, with 175
degree-granting institutions
- There are 487,000 students enrolled in 98
higher education institutions with over 20,500
Master's degrees, 4,000 Professional Degrees,
and 1,850 Doctoral degrees awarded annually
- Illinois boasts two of the top 10 business
schools in the world:
- The Kellogg School of Business at
Northwestern University
- The University of Chicago Graduate
School of Business Administration
- The University of Illinois' Engineering
Graduate program ranked 4th in the nation by US
News & World Report (2005)
- Transportation
- Illinois' airport system is the second
largest in the nation with 138 airports and 280
heliports
- O'Hare International Airport is the
second-busiest airport in the world, serving
more than 75 million passengers
- Chicago's airports are within a 4-hour
flight to the majority of major North American
destinations - offering 134 nonstop domestic
routes and a nonstop global gateway to 46
international business capitals
- Illinois is the 3rd largest interstate
network in the nation
- Chicago is the 3rd largest intermodal
container handler in the world after Hong Kong
and Singapore
- 50% of U.S. container rail freight passes
through rail yards in the Chicago metro area
- Chicago is the only gateway where all six
Class-One North American railroads can
interchange traffic
- 50% of North American industry is within one
day's truck delivery
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