The Chicago R&D ecosystem
Chicago is ranked number 109 of 392 R&D ecosystems in the 311 Institute directory, with 19 labs within about 120 kilometres: 12 research institutes, 4 corporate, 2 government and 1 university. Leading organisations include Argonne National Laboratory, US Department of Energy, AbbVie and Caterpillar, focused on materials chemistry, electrical and electronic engineering, oncology and biomedical engineering.
Part of the 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory. Compiled by Matthew Griffin. Last updated .
#109world rank
19labs
16organisations
1country
Why these labs matter
Argonne National Laboratory: Central to US battery, energy storage and AI-for-science research.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Leads the international DUNE neutrino experiment.
All 19 labs
| Lab and organisation | Location | Type and sector | Focus | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie R&DAbbVie | North Chicago, United States | Corporate Healthcare and life sciences | Immunology, Oncology | 2013 |
| Cat DigitalCaterpillar | Chicago, United States | Corporate Industrials and manufacturing | Data, Autonomy, IoT | 2015 |
| MB Clinical Research and Consulting (United States)MB Clinical Research and Consulting (United States) | Glen Ellyn, United States | Corporate Healthcare and life sciences | Nutrition and Dietetics, Surgery, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health | |
| Tempus Labs (United States)Tempus Labs (United States) | Chicago, United States | Corporate Healthcare and life sciences | Cancer Research, Oncology, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine | 2015 |
| Argonne National LaboratoryUS Department of Energy | Lemont, United States | Government Basic science | Supercomputing, Batteries, Nuclear | |
| Fermi National Accelerator LaboratoryUS Department of Energy | Batavia, United States | Government Basic science | Particle physics, Quantum | |
| International Institute for NanotechnologyNorthwestern University | Evanston, United States | University Chemicals and materials | Inorganic Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials | 2000 |
| Advanced Photon SourceArgonne National Laboratory | Lemont, United States | Research institute Basic science | Radiation, Materials Chemistry, Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 1996 |
| Center for Light Energy Activated Redox ProcessesArgonne National Laboratory | Evanston, United States | Research institute Industrials and manufacturing | Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Materials Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry | 2018 |
| Center for Nanoscale MaterialsArgonne National Laboratory | Lemont, United States | Research institute Chemicals and materials | Materials Chemistry, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering | 2007 |
| Chemistry of Life Processes InstituteChemistry of Life Processes Institute | Evanston, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Molecular Biology, Biomaterials, Spectroscopy | 2005 |
| Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation ResearchChicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research | Chicago, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Health, Sociology and Political Science | 2011 |
| Gatorade Sports Science InstituteGatorade Sports Science Institute | Barrington, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Physiology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Complementary and alternative medicine | 1985 |
| Institute for Food Safety and HealthInstitute for Food Safety and Health | Chicago, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Biotechnology, Food Science, Biochemistry | 2011 |
| Center for Hierarchical Materials DesignNational Institute of Standards and Technology | Evanston, United States | Research institute Industrials and manufacturing | Materials Chemistry, General Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering | |
| Reproductive Genetics InstituteReproductive Genetics Institute | Chicago, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, Reproductive Medicine, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health | 1989 |
| United States Drug Testing LaboratoriesUnited States Drug Testing Laboratories | Des Plaines, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Toxicology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, Epidemiology | 1991 |
| Vishwamitra Research InstituteVishwamitra Research Institute | Clarendon Hills, United States | Research institute Industrials and manufacturing | Control and Systems Engineering, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Environmental Engineering | 2004 |
| Weil Foot & Ankle InstituteWeil Foot & Ankle Institute | Des Plaines, United States | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Epidemiology | 1965 |
Countries
Organisations
Other leading ecosystems
- Paris and Saclay
- Beijing and Tianjin
- Washington DC and Maryland
- Greater Tokyo and Tsukuba
- Moscow
- Grenoble
- London and the Golden Triangle
- Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong)
- Shanghai and Suzhou
- Provence (ITER and Cadarache)
- Silicon Valley and the Bay Area
- Singapore
- Zurich, Basel and Aargau
- Randstad (Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden)
- Stuttgart and Karlsruhe
Questions and answers
How big is the Chicago R&D ecosystem?
It has 19 labs from 16 organisations, ranking number 109 worldwide in the 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory.
Which organisations have labs in Chicago?
They include Argonne National Laboratory, US Department of Energy, AbbVie and Caterpillar.
What does the Chicago ecosystem specialise in?
Its main focus areas are materials chemistry, electrical and electronic engineering, oncology and biomedical engineering.
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