Edward Seidel, UIUC Edward Seidel is the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation for the University of Illinois System. The U of I System is the state’s largest and most comprehensive public university system with universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. The System’s three universities offer over 500 academic programs to more than 80,000 students. The System’s interactions with state, federal and local governments, and the private sector are significant and diverse. It is a $5.6 billion enterprise with an economic impact of almost $14 billion annually, and a sponsored research portfolio of nearly $1 billion.
As Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, Dr. Seidel works closely with the president of the U of I System to engage potential public and private partners and strengthen the links between higher education, research, and business to drive innovation and stimulate economic development across the state of Illinois. He oversees the System’s commercialization pipeline that helps bring ideas to market, which includes the Offices of Technology Management at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago; the early-stage technology investment firm, IllinoisVENTURES; EnterpriseWorks, the business incubator in Urbana-Champaign; and the U of I Research Park.