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GOV. BLAGOJEVICH
ANNOUNCES $325,000 IN GRANTS TO HELP
DEVELOP HIGH-TECH, HOMELAND SECURITY
PRODUCTS AND CREATE 40 NEW JOBS
The Nation's First
State-Funded Grant Program Dedicated to
Accelerating the Commercialization,
Improvement and Production of Homeland
Security Products
CHICAGO - Building on his commitment
to create jobs and economic growth by
making Illinois a leader of innovation
and product development in the homeland
security industry, Gov. Rod R.
Blagojevich today announced $325,000 in
grants for two growing Illinois homeland
security companies. The Opportunity
Returns funding, which comes from the
Illinois Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity Homeland Security
Market Development bureau, will help
create 40 new jobs at the two companies
and continue to expand the market for an
industry in which Illinois is emerging
as a national leader. This funding is
leveraging $1.1 million in private
investment and federal grants or
contracts. DCEO Director Jack Lavin made
the grant announcement today with the
two companies in Chicago.
"From agriculture to manufacturing,
Illinois has always been home to some of
the most important innovation, and today
that same enterprising spirit is making
our state a national leader in the
homeland security industry. Many
Illinois businesses play a critical role
in keeping our cities, states and
country safe. By investing in companies
like RiverGlass and SSS Research, we can
continue fueling the innovation and
development of products that help keep
our citizens safe and our economy
growing," Gov. Blagojevich said.
RiverGlass, Inc., a West
Chicago-based software company with
roots at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, is receiving a
$150,000 IPG grant. RiverGlass Detect
and RiverGlass Recon will allow law
enforcement agencies to access and share
up-to-the-minute intelligence
information, enhancing their ability to
evaluate threats and prevent potential
acts of crime or terrorism. The Illinois
State Police is currently implementing
RiverGlass' software at the State
Terrorism and Intelligence Center in
Springfield. The IPG grant will allow
RiverGlass to hire 3 to 5 software
developers at its Champaign location to
accelerate the commercial release of two
products.
SSS Research, Inc., a software
research and development firm in
Naperville, is receiving a $175,000 IPG
grant. SSS Research Inc. develops
products and services that enable end
users to understand complex information
sets and convert this understanding into
better decisions. The company has landed
several government research contracts
and has developed technology that helps
intelligence analysts structure,
visualize and evaluate information. Its
product offerings include DECIDETM,
a hypothesis analysis tool used to
evaluate the feasibility of potential
terrorism scenarios and develop
strategies to deter them, and FUSIONTM,
a geospatial system that allows
intelligence analysts to monitor
movements to help identify trends or
irregularities in combatants'
activities. The IPG award will help SSS
Research develop a commercial version of
their DECIDETM
software.
"We are excited to receive this homeland
security grant from Gov. Blagojevich.
The vision behind this innovative grant
program, which is helping to accelerate
development of critical technology to
solve homeland security issues, is truly
leading edge. Building on our technology
roots at the University of Illinois and
key partnerships with the Illinois State
Police, RiverGlass is committed to
adding jobs and innovative technology to
the state," said Kirk Dauksavage, CEO of
RiverGlass.
"We are excited to be part of this
visionary program created by Gov.
Blagojevich and the State of Illinois.
It is programs like these that keep
Illinois at the forefront in the
development of new technologies and
services," said Dr. Stephen Eick, Chief
Scientist of the SSS Research, Inc.
"This grant will allow us to quickly
transfer the technology we have
developed into products and services for
the homeland security industry."
The Homeland Security Market Development
Innovative Product Grant (IPG) Program
was created to accelerate the
commercialization, improvement, and
production of goods and services with an
application in homeland security and
other sectors. IPG funds are intended to
help create jobs and produce economic
activity in Illinois by helping
companies, partnerships, and joint
venture agents complete milestone
projects that will directly catalyze the
production or application of goods and
services that are either
ready-for-market or in the alter stages
of development. The IPG program is the
nation's first state-funded grant
program focused on developing products
to meet homeland security needs.
"This funding represents an investment
in our local economy that will not only
help create jobs, but help spur greater
innovation and technology to keep our
communities safer," State Rep. Naomi
Jakobsson (D-Urbana) said. "I want to
thank Gov. Blagojevich for his
assistance in awarding this grant."
"Gov. Blagojevich's vision behind this
grant program is to strengthen the
security of our nation and the vitality
of our economy by fostering innovation
and helping Illinois businesses turn
their promise into productivity in the
marketplace. Investments like these in
emerging companies are an enormous key
to protecting the public and creating
good jobs today and tomorrow," DCEO
Director Jack Lavin said.
DCEO's Homeland Security Market
Development Bureau (HSMD) is focused on
supporting 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.
Among its efforts, the Bureau has
supported Illinois businesses with
employee training to keep pace with new
technologies and skills, held CEO
roundtables to engage business leaders
about the state's ongoing role in the
post-9/11 world, and hosted market
development forums featuring national
experts for the Illinois business.
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. |
