Tag: GCEP

Chicagoland Industry Profiles is a set of data-driven snapshots designed to help companies, investors, communities, and partners understand where and why our region competes globally. These profiles bring together the latest data on output, employment, talent pipelines, and industry ecosystems across Chicagoland’s priority sectors. They are built to support site selection, expansion decisions, policy alignment, and storytelling.

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Chicagoland’s economy is defined by its remarkable industry diversity, with industry clusters competing globally. Chicagoland is a place where ideas are developed, products are made, and goods move efficiently to markets across the country and around the world. Its economy combines world-class research institutions, advanced production capabilities, and one of the most connected transportation networks on the continent.

These industry profiles highlight the key sectors that power Chicagoland’s economy and position the region for long-term growth. 

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Manufacturing

Anchored by a historic legacy of innovation and craftsmanship, Chicagoland’s manufacturing sector is both deeply rooted and intensely future-focused. The region offers manufacturers a powerful combination of skilled labor, dense supplier networks, and world-class transportation, distribution, and logistics infrastructure. For firms looking to incubate and scale high‑value, specialized production with access to talent, suppliers, and efficient multimodal freight connections, Chicagoland offers one of North America’s most compelling platforms for manufacturing success.

View Manufacturing Industry Profile

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Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

The Chicagoland region is a national leader in Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (TD&L), strategically located at the center of the country and anchoring U.S. supply chains through unmatched rail, highway, air, and inland port connectivity as a global crossroads for moving goods, freight, and people at scale. The industry is supported by modernized logistics networks, e-commerce, and automation, while providing diverse jobs and training pipelines.

View Transportation, Distribution & Logistics Industry Profile

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Finance & Insurance

Chicagoland is a premier U.S. finance and insurance hub, distinguished by its global exchanges, numerous major industry corporations either headquartered or having a key presence in the region, deep talent pool, and growing fintech sector. Its diversified financial ecosystem and central location drive high-wage employment, innovation, and sustained industry growth.

View Finance & Insurance Industry Profile

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Professional Services

Chicagoland stands out as a premier headquarters destination for professional, scientific, and technical services , offering a robust ecosystem of consulting, legal, advertising, tech expertise, and more to fuel corporate success. With a deep set of top-tier firms and specialized talent, the city drives innovation in AI, analytics, and high-value services — creating high-wage jobs and inclusive growth while supporting seamless business expansion in a thriving and connected hub.

View Professional Services Industry Profile

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Food Manufacturing

Anchored by a long legacy as the nation’s food capital, Chicagoland is home to the #1 food manufacturing cluster in the U.S., producing everything from packaged foods and beverages to ingredients and advanced food technologies. The region combines one of the country’s largest and most experienced food production workforces with a dense network of suppliers, co-packers, packaging firms, and R&D institutions. Supported by unmatched TD&L infrastructure, food manufacturers in Chicagoland can efficiently source inputs, innovate new products, and reach national and global markets—making the region one of North America’s premier platforms for scaling food production.

View Food Manufacturing Industry Profile

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Life Sciences

Chicagoland is one of the nation’s leading life sciences hubs, thanks to its world-class R1 universities, medical schools, federal and corporate R&D, and growing lab space, especially in Chicago and Lake County. This ecosystem is fueling biotech and pharmaceutical innovation through specialized manufacturing, a deep talent pipeline, and investments in AI and bioinformatics, helping the region compete with top national markets at a fraction of the cost.

View Life Sciences Industry Profile

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Digital Tech

The Chicago region’s digital tech industry is a fast-growing engine of innovation, especially in advanced computing and AI. A robust workforce that includes software, data, and fintech talent attracts R&D and nurtures startups while creating powerful cross-industry synergies across healthcare, logistics, finance, and manufacturing — supporting a more adaptable and inclusive regional economy.

View Digital Tech Industry Profile

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Data Centers

Chicagoland is a key market for data centers, given its central location and proximity to industry users, such as finance and technology. State incentives, as well as power, talent, and land availability have driven industry growth. Moreover, the market is gearing up for the next generation of users, including demand for hyperscale and colocation data centers. Consumer patterns and increased computing capabilities — like AI and quantum — are driving increased data center needs.

View Data Centers Industry Profile

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Quantum

Chicagoland is rapidly emerging as a national leader in the quantum industry, fueled by federal investment and a highly collaborative research and business ecosystem. Catalytic initiatives are accelerating commercialization and positioning the region for large-scale quantum development, as well as delivering new economic opportunities for Chicago’s South Side. Breakthroughs in computing, communications, sensing, and cybersecurity are poised to transform industries critical to Chicagoland — including finance, transportation, logistics, and healthcare — creating a long-term competitive advantage.

View Quantum Industry Profile

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Vibrancy Industries

Chicago is one of the most vibrant cities and metro areas in the nation. The region’s collection of “vibrancy industries” — interconnected sectors that bring places to life by combining culture, mobility, design, entertainment, food, retail, and visitor activity — help create dynamic places where people want to live, work, and explore. Together, these industries represent one of Chicagoland’s strongest value propositions for attracting businesses, visitors, and talent.

View Vibrancy Industry Profile

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Why Chicagoland

Chicagoland’s diverse economy and centralized location make it a magnet for business investment, entertainment and skilled talent attraction. Companies continue to choose Chicagoland to locate and grow. The proof is in the numbers: for thirteen years running, Chicagoland has been crowned by Site Selection Magazine the #1 metro area in the U.S. for corporate relocations and expansions. And Chicago belongs on the global stage: Kearney’s 2025 Global Cities Index once again named Chicago as one of the top 10 cities in the world. Moreover, the Chicagoland area is growing, adding 70,762 people between 2023 and 2024 — the ninth most among metro areas. Transformation and resilience are a core part of our identity, positioning the Chicago metro area as a global economic powerhouse.

View the GCEP 2025 Year in Review here.

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Letter from GCEP Leadership

Dear Partners & Friends,

If we could call the first year of the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP) an exploration of structured regionalism in the Chicagoland area, and the second year an expansion of it, then 2025 can only be characterized as a year of maturation and acceleration. Building upon the momentum and collaborative frameworks established in previous years, 2025 reinforced our commitment to elevating Chicagoland as a unified economic force on the global stage. This year marked several significant milestones that demonstrate the strength of our regional partnership:

Growing Our Capacity: GCEP expanded its team, enhancing our ability to serve the region’s economic development priorities with greater depth and strategic focus. This investment in our organizational infrastructure reflects our commitment to sustainable, long-term, data-driven regional collaboration.

Global Market Engagement: GCEP members participated in a trade delegation to Japan, strengthening vital international relationships and creating opportunities for cross-border investment and trade. This mission underscored Chicagoland’s position as a globally connected business hub and demonstrated our proactive approach to attracting international capital and fostering partnerships in key markets.

Celebrating Major Economic Wins: Throughout 2025, our region secured significant business investments and expansions, from companies like Abbott Labs and Osaka Soda, that validate our collective efforts. These victories span diverse sectors and reflect the breadth of Chicagoland’s competitive advantages—from our world-class talent pool and strategic location to our innovation ecosystem and business-friendly environment.

As we’ve stepped into the roles of Chair and Vice Chair this year, we’ve been consistently inspired by the dedication of our member organizations and the genuine spirit of collaboration that defines GCEP. The willingness of economic development leaders across our counties to work together, share resources, and champion the region as a whole continues to set Chicagoland apart.

We find ourselves in a period of both tremendous opportunity and considerable uncertainty. While external forces—national policy shifts, global economic headwinds, and evolving market dynamics—remain beyond our control, what we can shape is the trajectory of business growth in Chicagoland. That’s precisely where GCEP focuses its energy: on strategic, collaborative action that delivers results.

The pages that follow detail the work accomplished in 2025—work that positions Chicagoland not just to weather uncertainty, but to thrive in it. We invite you to review this progress and to continue standing with us as champions of this remarkable region. Together, we’re building something enduring: a super region with unmatched assets, unified purpose, and unlimited potential.

Thank you for your partnership and your unwavering belief in Chicagoland’s promise.

Sincerely,

Kevin Considine 
Chair, Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership
President & CEO, Lake County Partners

Doug Pryor
Vice-Chair, Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership
President & CEO, Will County Center for Economic Development

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View the GCEP 2025 Year in Review

DuPage County has joined together with Cook, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Lake, and Will Counties and the City of Chicago in an innovative partnership to drive economic growth and advance equity across the region. The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership will focus on promoting the region’s assets – including extensive freight infrastructure, diverse talent, strong exporting industries, world-class research institutions, and culture to develop an identity that can compete on a global scale.

World Business Chicago manages the Partnership, and Greg Bedalov, President & CEO of Choose DuPage will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors.

“The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership is one of the largest advancements in our collective economic history,” said Greg Bedalov. “Thank you to the many private- and public-sector leaders that have long advocated in favor of regional collaboration. As President & CEO of Choose DuPage, I’ve always said that a strong region is what’s best for a strong DuPage. I look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring to all our communities and will continue to share updates on our progress.”

The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership Statement of Collaboration

We acknowledge that our northeastern Illinois region — including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties as well as the city of Chicago — is interconnected and interdependent. We believe that the region can achieve more to strengthen jobs and capital investment by working together than any one community can on its own. We know that the region’s extensive assets offer significant opportunities to provide shared prosperity across different and diverse communities. And we recognize that joint action can ensure robust, equitable economic growth by building a globally competitive ecosystem that works for everyone, with world-class transportation infrastructure, economic sectors, talent, and innovation.

Wishing to enter a new era of regional cooperation, we join together to make the following commitments, with the goal of facilitating activities that better take advantage of our shared opportunities and complement our unique interests:

• As a forum for local government leadership, we will engage corporate, civic, and institutional partners to leverage our combined strengths and implement approved joint plans for the benefit of the region.
• We will enlist federal and state governments to play key roles as partners and funders of regional initiatives in coordination with existing agencies and activities.
• We will improve our inter-jurisdictional and inter-agency communication to share all information as is necessary and prudent to create efficient and effective opportunities for collaboration.
• We will develop methods and resources for deliberate action that advances the region, with an emphasis on the needs of marginalized communities and the potential to enhance our global economic competitiveness.
• We will set the highest standards of professional conduct, trust, and integrity for ourselves, our staffs, and our partners to maximize regional benefits for public expenditures.
• We will evaluate both the overall economic progress of the entire region as well as individual communities as we measure success.