Led by the University of Illinois System in partnership with top regional and global research institutions, Chicago-based Discovery Partners Institute trains people for in-demand tech jobs, funds and conducts applied research and development, and launches new businesses built on university technology.
3,000
Teachers and students in activities and programs since DPI launched in 2018
10
New companies established based on university research since DPI’s inception
$12M
In state and federal grants to establish new research centers in 2024
DPI, an Illinois Innovation Network hub, envisions a tech workforce as diverse as Chicago and Illinois.
- DPI’s Pritzker Tech Talent Lab works with learners from middle school to mid-career, 70% of whom self-identified as Black, Latino/a or multiracial.
- It established the NSF Global Center for Clean Energy and Equitable Transportation Solutions.
- It established the Cannabis Research Institute with the Illinois Department of Human Services.
- It assesses hundreds of commercialization opportunities for research innovations across U of I System.
