Key Points

Rank Among U.S. Metros

Chicago: A National Center for Biotechnology

8th

2nd

Biotechnology GRP

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Employees

PharmaceuticalManufacturing GRP

Gross Regional Product$12.5 Billion

Workforce36,172 Employees

Number of Companies580

Defined broadly, biotechnology companies utilize biological knowledge to create a specific product or provide a service. Many state and regional studies define biotech more narrowly and the choice of which sectors to include or exclude can also be contingent upon local conditions. This profile emphasizes the medical applications of biotech, specifically its role in pharmaceutical advancements. It showcases Chicago’s strengths as a national leader in biological research and development and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Chicago is a leader in the biotechnology sector with many companies choosing to locate their headquarters and research centers here. From 2015 to 2016, Chicago’s biotechnology sector gained 1,423 jobs in addition to adding 4 companies in the same time period. Organizations in the Chicago metro received $738.97 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding in 2016. Northwestern University, University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago were the largest Chicago area recipients, receiving $268.05, $162.88 and $110.08 million, respectively. Advanced biotechnology research is thriving in Chicago. Argonne National Laboratory has an advanced photon source (APS), which allows researchers to build three-dimensional views of proteins. Argonne’s APS was instrumental in helping AbbVie develop the HIV drug Kaletra.

Biopharmaceutical companies in Chicago received $65 million in venture capital in 2016. In addition to having two of the world’s top universities for life sciences – University of Chicago (#18) and Northwestern University (#39) – Chicago has a lower business cost for biotechnology/biomedical R&D than peer cities, including New York City, Los Angeles and Boston.

Cancer immunotherapy, a treatment intended to enhance the immune system in order to fight cancer, is another growing trend in biotechnology research that has the potential to fundamentally change treatment approaches. The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center is positioning itself as a leader in this field with its Immunology and Cancer Program. In 2016, the University of Chicago entered into a five-year collaboration agreement with Abbvie to advance medical research in oncology.

5th

Revised 05/15/17

Biotechnology

Company Local Employees

Abbott 7,977

AbbVie 6,826

Argonne National Laboratory 2,695

Fermilab 1,750

UL 1,280

Astellas 1,253

Takeda Pharmaceuticals 1,100

Hospira 700

Catalent 445

Fresenius Kabi 279

Lundbek 272

Novartis 249

Labtest International (Intertek) 200

Wockhardt 190

W.R. Grace & Co 162

Elevance Renewable Sciences 115

Carlson Laboratories 100

Note: Data reflects NAICS codes 3254 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing and 5417 Scientific Research and Development Services. Data refers to the Chicago metropolitan statistical area (MSA), a 14-county, tri-state region: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, & Will counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, & Porter counties in Indiana; Kenosha County in WisconsinSources: Moody’s (2015-2016 data), Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages (2016 data), National Institutes of Health (2016 data), Dow Jones VentureSource (2016 data), Times Higher Education (2016 data), KPMG (2016 data), Hoover’s, Inc. (2016 data), Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (2016 data), Crain’s Chicago Business (2016 data) and LinkedIn.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Employment, Chicago & Top U.S. Metros (2016, thousands)

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Company Location/Year Highlights

AbbVie North Chicago, IL 2014

550,00 sq. ft. office space

Horizon Pharma Lake Forest, IL 2015

Corporate HQ relocation to Chicago

GE Healthcare Chicago, IL 2016

Corporate HQ relocation to Chicago

Vetter Des Plaines, IL 2016

$3.2M new production facility with 300 additional employees

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Association Location Highlights

Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization

Illinois Industry association, 500+ members ibio.org/

Propel Illinois Mission to increase the number and success rates of life sciences start-ups in Illinois ibiopropel.org/

Biologue Chicago Chicago Networking organization for biotechnology community biologuechicago.com/

Source: Moody’s Analytics, 2016

World Business Chicago is a public-private, non-profit partnership that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business, and promotes Chicago as a leading global city. For more information visit worldbusinesschicago.com or call 312.553.0500.

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Argonne National Laboratory – Argonne is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest research centers. Argonne is a $760 million research engine with 3,398 employees and over 7,000 facility users. It brings together world-class researchers who work alongside experts from industry, academia and other government laboratories to address challenges in clean energy, environment, technology and national security. anl.gov

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) – America’s premier laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research, Fermilab has 1,750 employees and 2,000 researchers from 34 countries that collaborate on scientific experiments. From enabling the development of MRI machines to building the first proton accelerator for cancer treatment, Fermilab has helped address major scientific challenges. fnal.gov

International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) – A collaborative venture between Northwestern University, Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials, and their partners, IIN brings together 190 chemists, engineers, biologists, physicians, and business experts. It is currently developing bioprogrammable nanomaterials for the Air Force. nanotechnology.northwestern.edu

Illinois Medical District – The Illinois Medical District (IMD) comprises 560 acres of medical research facilities, labs, a biotech business incubator, two universities, a raw development area and more than 40 healthcare related facilities. Located less than two miles from downtown Chicago, the IMD is anchored by four major hospitals: Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Rush University Medical Center, John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. imdc.org

University Technology Park (UTP) at the Illinois Institute for Technology. Located on Illinois Tech’s campus, UTP is a center for research and innovation in food science, biomedical engineering, medical imaging, cancer-preventive drugs, pre-clinical trials, and other high-tech and bioscience fields. In-house and professional services are offered to start-ups in the incubation process, while top-of-the-line facilities and comprehensive support are extended to companies in every phase of development. universitytechnologypark.com

The Chicago Technology Park (CTP) – Located on 56 acres within the Illinois Medical District (IMD), CTP assists in the growth of companies in the medical field. More than 150 people work for companies in the incubator and another 125 work for companies that have moved to other locations within the IMD. The CTP has successfully graduated over 25 firms. imdc.org/district-partners/chicago-technology-park-ctp

Illinois Science + Technology Park (ISTP) – ISTP provides a campus setting to facilitate collaboration and networking. With a focus on bioscience, medical devices and emerging technologies, ISTP has 2 million square feet of existing and to-be-built research and office space. Since its inception, ISTP has attracted 1,300 jobs to the local area. scienceparkillinois.com

MATTER – MATTER is a hub for healthcare technology innovation that brings together entrepreneurs, hospitals, universities, physicians, scientists, investors and industry leaders to launch and grow healthcare IT, medical device, medical diagnostics and biopharma companies. MATTER counts 90 startups as members with 30 industry partners, 3 universities, and 8 hospitals and health systems collaborating. matterchicago.com.

Chicago Area Research Parks and Innovation Hubs