DCEO Director Jack Lavin Witnesses MOU Signing Between Illinois’ Two Federal Laboratories to Help Bring Multi-Billion Dollar Project to Illinois
CHICAGO – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today declared “Particle Accelerator Day” in Illinois in recognition of the state’s federal laboratories role as world leaders in accelerator technology and to help bring particle accelerator projects, such as the multi-billion dollar International Linear Collider (ILC), to Illinois. The proclamation coincided with a historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between the U.S. Department of Energy’s (USDOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to increase their cooperation on numerous projects, including the ILC. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Jack Lavin signed the MOU as a witness on behalf of the Governor.
“The State of Illinois is very fortunate to host two exceptional federal research laboratories that are advancing scientific discoveries every day, and we are excited to be a part of this unique collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory,” Gov. Blagojevich said. “Since the technology of particle accelerators will translate into significant scientific and economic benefits for our state, I am happy to declare today ‘Particle Accelerator Day’ in Illinois and to encourage everyone to learn more about the contributions of this incredible technology to the world. My administration has been committed to supporting the work of both of these federal labs, and we look forward to helping leverage even larger investments for these important facilities.”
Dr. Robert Rosner, Director of Argonne National Laboratory, and Dr. Pier Oddone, Director of Fermilab, signed the MOU to establish a general framework of collaboration and project relationships. The USDOE has expressed its interest in the possibility of hosting the ILC at Fermilab. The ILC is a proposed international, multi-billion dollar project that will revolutionize our understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe and create thousands of jobs and add millions of dollars to the Illinois economy. Gov. Blagojevich’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes $3 million to support the construction of an Illinois Accelerator Research Center, which would further strengthen the case of Fermilab as a possible host for the ILC project.
"Fermilab and Argonne have a great history of collaboration and of building world-class accelerator facilities," said Fermilab Director Pier Oddone. "Fermilab is home of the Tevatron, the world's highest-energy particle accelerator, and Argonne operates the Advanced Photon Source, one of the world's highest-intensity x-ray light sources. This Memorandum of Understanding between the two labs will allow us to collaborate more effectively on research and development for future accelerator facilities proposed for Illinois, such as the International Linear Collider - projects that would help Illinois to maintain its role as a world leader in accelerator technology."
"This collaboration of national laboratories and universities is unparalleled in the realm of the international science community. The expertise of these two great institutions positions Illinois as a recognized leader in accelerator science," Argonne Director Robert Rosner said.
Gov. Blagojevich has committed $82.7 million in funding for projects at Argonne National Laboratory since the beginning of his administration. These important technology projects include the Center for Nanoscale Materials, Ricketts Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, the Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility and I-WIRE. The Governor has also included $13 million in his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2007 for projects at Argonne and Fermilab.
“The presence of Argonne and Fermilab in the state contributes a great deal to our tremendous research capacity, and Gov. Blagojevich and I are proud of our strong record of support with these internationally renowned facilities. These collaborative efforts to advance accelerator research in Illinois are important for bringing future projects to the state, and we look forward to continue working together to advance these efforts,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
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.