Illinois state government is leaning on its relationships with private businesses as part of a structured attempt to generate new ideas and expand its portfolio of technologies.
State officials told StateScoop they met regularly with Illinois-based businesses in 2017 as part of a new group called the Corporate Innovators Council. The group’s members — which include representatives from Discover Financial Services, Bosch, Northern Trust, Mars-Wrigley, McDonald's, Grainger and Cigna — share their knowledge and experience using innovative business practices. The state says it hopes to apply what it is learning from its corporate partners to find creative solutions to government’s challenges and launch new initiatives like its recent chatbot hackathon.
Image: Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology
