Administration doubles down on tech industries in 5-year plan for business growth

By HANNAH MEISEL
& ANDREW ADAMS
Capitol News Illinois
[email protected]

Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday kicked off a decade-long process to address the needs of aging Illinoisans, signing an executive order to hire a chief planning officer within the state’s Department on Aging.

With the U.S. Census Bureau estimating that approximately one quarter of Illinois’ population expected to be 60 or older by 2030, the chief planning officer will oversee the creation of a 10-year strategic plan “with the goal of strengthening Illinois as an aging-friendly state,” according to the executive order.

Pritzker’s office did not indicate who might fill that role, but after the position is filled, the clock will start ticking toward a December 2025 deadline to deliver a comprehensive plan to the governor and the General Assembly that could eventually be turned into policy.

In his second term as governor, Pritzker has proposed more state investments in areas like child care and preschool, but he has not yet launched any large-scale efforts to address the growing needs of caretaking for elder adults, especially as the Baby Boomer generation ages.

“We know that it’s not just about supporting aging adults, but also being mindful of caretaker needs and the complex needs of individuals with disabilities, and this plan will ensure no one is left behind,” the governor said in a statement announcing the executive order.

For more than two decades, the state has operated the Illinois Caregiver Support Program, which offers resources to those taking care of elderly parents, neighbors and grandparents — along with grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. But the program is small and not well-known.

Past governors’ administrations have made two-year plans on aging, which continued under Pritzker as Illinois is currently on the state’s fifth such plan. Under the 10-year plan, the state’s chief planning officer is asked to coordinate across agencies including the Departments of Corrections, Insurance and Housing.

Business development plan 

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity on Monday published a five-year plan outlining how it hopes to attract and retain businesses in the state. 

At the plan’s center is a strategy to invest in six industries that will receive “prioritized support,” capital investment and job training. They are life science, quantum computing, clean energy production, advanced manufacturing, next generation agriculture and transportation. 

Some of these industries, including agriculture, have long been staples of the state’s economy. Others, like clean energy and quantum computing, have become policy priorities for the Pritzker administration in recent years. 

In the last two years, the state has given just over $1 billion in tax incentives to companies in the supply chain for electric vehicles and clean energy production through the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles program. 

Last month, the state awarded a $92 million tax incentive to quantum technology company PsiQuantum Manufacturing under the Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity Act, the first agreement of its kind. 

Deals brokered through those programs are often part of larger packages of tax breaks, state-backed loans and other incentives. The governor’s office estimated PsiQuantum’s total incentives package was worth $200 million. 

Read more: Quantum business park coming to Chicago, backed by $700M from state of Illinois

The five-year plan was put together by DCEO in “consistent collaboration and consultation” with Intersect Illinois, a nonprofit economic development agency founded eight years ago with backing from then-Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Intersect is a major player in “Team Illinois,” an informal coalition of business groups and government officials that lobbies companies to set up shop in Illinois. The group, which has so far operated on a somewhat ad hoc basis, consists of the governor’s office, DCEO, Intersect, trade associations, public utilities and other groups, according to the department’s five-year plan.  

DCEO’s plan also said it is formalizing the process these groups use to court new business developments, hoping to operate as a “unified front” for attracting investment. 

The plan also lays out several proposed “areas for improvement” to state policy on business incentives. These include expanding the incentive program available to advanced manufacturers like vehicle and electronic manufacturers, granting regional economic development officials the ability to establish geographic “enterprise zones” that provide tax breaks, and further extending a tax credit for research and development. 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.