CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Friday announced 35 awards totaling $2.3 million through the Innovation Voucher Program to promote small business growth and fuel transformative collaborations across Illinois.
Thermaquatica, Inc. in Carbondale will receive $74,975 for Agribusiness and Agtech with its partner SIU Carbondale.
In its inaugural year, this program is supporting 35 transformative projects spanning sectors including biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and information technology. These collaborations are supporting the development of innovative platforms, medical devices, long-term battery storage solutions, advanced agricultural technologies, and groundbreaking medical solutions. The success of these projects not only underscores the program’s value in fostering innovation but also highlights its potential to address pressing challenges in key industries while driving economic growth across Illinois.
The governor also announced Friday that $2.6 million will be available in grant funding for the second round of the Innovation Voucher Program. Grantees will be selected through a competitive application process.
