7.2.25

Dear colleagues —

I’m pleased to share that the UIS Innovation Center will lease space at Horace Mann’s downtown Springfield campus to expand programs that support economic development in the region. The 2.5-year lease will allow the center to broaden programming and services focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. The move is expected to be completed by September.

Innovate Springfield, our business incubator that serves as the heart of the Innovation Center, will relocate from 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza to the new space on the third floor of Horace Mann. The move will add nearly 3,000 square feet, bringing the total to 9,800. The new location will include co-working and incubation areas, instructional space for workforce development and larger areas for events and pitch competitions. 

This relocation supports our shared goals of driving innovation, fostering entrepreneurship and promoting economic growth in the region. It also creates new opportunities for students, faculty, corporate partners and community members to collaborate on projects that make a lasting impact. 

We are grateful to Horace Mann for partnering with us and helping to make this next chapter possible. A public announcement about this effort will be made this afternoon. 

Thank you,

Janet 

Janet L. Gooch, Ph.D. 

Chancellor 

University of Illinois Springfield