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GOV. BLAGOJEVICH
ANNOUNCES THIRD FORUM IN SERIES TO HELP
ILLINOIS' BUSINESSES MEET THE CRITICAL
NATIONAL NEED FOR PRODUCTS IN THE $45
BILLION HOMELAND SECURITY MARKET
"Opportunities for
Manufacturers in the Homeland Security
Market"
Set for February 9th in Peoria
CHICAGO - Building on his State of
the State commitment to create jobs and
economic growth by making Illinois a
center for innovation and product
development in the homeland security
industry, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today
announced the third in a series of free
forums to help businesses throughout the
state identify homeland security market
opportunities. "Opportunities for
Manufacturers in the Homeland Security
Market" will be held from 8:30am to
5:00pm on February 9th, 2006, at the
Peoria Holiday Inn City Centre. The
event is presented by the Homeland
Security Market Development Bureau
within the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
and Illinois Central College's
Procurement Technical Assistance Center,
in partnership with Caterpillar, Inc.,
the Tooling & Manufacturing Association
and the Employers' Association.
"We are committed to developing
Illinois' homeland security sector by
providing support to corporations,
entrepreneurs and research institutions
seeking to tap into new industry
markets," Gov. Blagojevich said.
"Developing homeland security
technologies that have the capacity to
provide our businesses, governments and
citizens with the security and peace of
mind needed to pursue new levels of
growth and create more jobs, as well as
the innovation needed to remain
competitive in the global marketplace,
is critical to promoting a healthy and
vibrant economy."
The conference will provide Illinois
businesses with information on who is
buying homeland security products, what
they are buying and what future needs
and challenges have to be met by
homeland security manufacturers.
Attendees will hear directly from
industry experts on how to stay
competitive in this rapidly evolving
industry and meet the critical national
need for new homeland security products
and services; how to negotiate federal
and state homeland security procurement
systems; what current and future
standards and needs in homeland security
technologies will be; and current
opportunities in the homeland security
market for integration, sub-contracting,
investment capital and workforce
training and education.
"Gov. Blagojevich and I believe that
this forum for manufacturers across
Central Illinois will be an excellent
chance to learn more about the homeland
security marketplace and what
opportunities are available to grow a
business in this burgeoning sector of
our economy," State Senator George
Shadid (D-Pekin) said.
"Gov. Blagojevich is delivering on his
promise to put our state at the
forefront of this industry and bring the
national focus on homeland security to
Illinois by arranging this impressive
series of homeland security forums,"
said Jack Lavin, Director of the
Illinois Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity. "Opportunities for
Manufacturers in the Homeland Security
Market" will help forge new
public-private partnerships and
strengthen existing relationships in
manufacturing and homeland security to
stimulate business growth and generate
new investment, innovation and jobs that
will strengthen Illinois' economy."
Morning keynote speaker Robert Judd, an
industry leader and executive in
homeland security and defense, will
discuss manufacturing homeland security
solutions. Afternoon keynote speaker Dr.
Penrose "Parney" Albright, former
Assistant Secretary for Science and
Technology for the US Department of
Homeland Security and current Managing
Director of Civitas Group LLC, will
discuss current federal research and
development activities in homeland
security and provide insights into
opportunities for business in this
market. Other industry experts and
representatives from leading firms will
share their knowledge, skills and
experiences in defining the standards
related to domestic security, as well as
discuss the need for further development
and methods of improvement.
Peoria NEXT, the Heartland Partnership,
Bradley University's Small Business
Development Center and Heartland
Illinois Technology Enterprise Center,
NORBIC, the Illinois Defense Industry
Association, the Illinois Manufacturers'
Association, the Illinois Manufacturing
Extension Center, AeA and the Valley
Industrial Association are providing
additional support for the event.
"The goal of the conference is to
further develop and promote new
technologies for the homeland security
market, in our region and throughout
Illinois. This creates more
opportunities for strengthening economic
development, increasing our technical
workforce and keeping us at the top in
providing new products and service for
this expanding industry," said Dr. Peter
B. Johnsen, Director of the National
Center for Agricultural Utilization
Research and Chairman of the Board at
Peoria NEXT.
Illinois companies, innovators and
entrepreneurs who have been successful
in the homeland security market will
also share their stories. DCEO's
Homeland Security Market Development
Bureau will discuss how Illinois is
working to attract and support
businesses engaged in the homeland
security industry.
"Illinois is well positioned to lead in
the development of new technologies that
can be quickly transferred into products
and services for the homeland security
industry," said Bruce Braker, President
of the Tooling & Manufacturing
Association. "This conference provides
an important venue and great resource
for Illinois manufacturers to discover
these new innovations and their numerous
applications in myriad industries."
To register for this free event, please
visit:
www.hsmd.illinois.gov/hs/Events.htm.
For more details, please contact Alice
Hosty at DCEO: 312/814.2331 or Susan
Gorman at ICC: 309/495.5970.
In conjunction with "Opportunities for
Manufacturers in the Homeland Security
Market," the Homeland Defense Journal (HDJ)
will present a Homeland Security Grants
Training Workshop on February 8th, 2006,
also at the Peoria Holiday Inn City
Centre. With support from HDJ, a premier
national homeland security publication,
the workshop is being offered at a
special discount to provide in-depth
training to homeland security
manufacturers on how to identify and
effectively pursue homeland security
related grant opportunities.
Details on how to enroll in HDJ's
workshop can also be found at:
www.hsmd.illinois.gov/hs/Events.htm.
DCEO's Homeland Security Market
Development Bureau (HSMD) was created to
attract and support businesses engaged
in the homeland security industry. HSMD
offers a variety of investment tools
designed to help existing Illinois
companies expand operations and utilize
available state and federal programs and
services. For more information on HSMD,
visit:
www.hsmd.illinois.gov.
Gov. Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns
regional economic development strategy
is the most aggressive, comprehensive
approach to creating jobs in Illinois'
history. Since a one-size-fits-all
approach to economic development just
doesn't work, the Governor has divided
the state into 10 regions - each with a
regional team that is empowered and
expected to rapidly respond to
opportunities and challenges.
Opportunity Returns is about tangible,
specific actions to make each region
more accessible, more marketable, more
entrepreneurial and more attractive to
businesses. It is about upgrading the
skills of the local workforce,
increasing the access to capital,
opening new markets, improving
infrastructure, and creating and
retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is
about successfully partnering with
companies and communities, both large
and small, to help all of Illinois reach
its economic potential. |
