Abstract
The Supply Chain Innovation Center and Business Incubator (SCICBI) at Governors State University and the Urban Transportation Center at University of Illinois Chicago are jointly proposing the project Sustainable Inclusive Supply Chain for The Electric Vehicle Industry in Illinois under the scope of the Illinois Innovation Network Supplemental Funding Guidelines Sustaining Illinois, Fall 2021. The total project cost is $45,086. The team is requesting $30,000 from the Illinois Innovation Network and providing $15,086 in-kind match. To ensure that Illinois can create a robust, sustainable, and inclusive supply chain for the electric vehicle industry, the team will conduct a literature review on the EV and related industry development, do a local market research by businesses interviews and infrastructure assessment, design a workforce development plan, build an ESG promoting program, create a matchmaking strategy for EV and related businesses, and estimate the potential economic impacts for a new EV business in the region. The proposed project will support two elements identified in the Sustaining Illinois: (a) Education and Workforce Development and (b) Economic Development. This program is a start to provide more jobs and economic growth to the disadvantaged communities. The proposed project will make concerted efforts to support workforce plan to train disadvantaged population groups in working with new technology so that they will be able to avail of jobs created in the emerging EV industry.
Project Description
There is a dramatic revolution underway in transportation. The United States and Illinois, in particular, have made substantial commitments to support the creation of an electric revolution in mobility. The State of Illinois has passed a new law creating incentives for investments in electric mobility, and they have created a plan that focuses on creating a robust world-class supply chain for the Electric Vehicle industry. CMAP is also looking at electrification in a variety of ways. It's one of several emissions’ mitigation strategies that the transportation team is considering. In addition, they are looking more deeply into policies next year with a project to explore the region's needs to fully develop a network of charging infrastructure, considering gaps in long-distance charging along with the expressway network and the need for public infrastructure support charging in urban areas.
Recent innovations in the ways that goods are produced and distributed has increased reliance on sustainable and efficient transportation. The automation of production networks has resulted in decentralized manufacturing and production facilities that have increased the demand for efficient movements between previously disparate locations. This change in the way and how goods are transported to homes and businesses and how people are moving to different locations has further increased the demand for more sustainable and efficient transportation movements. The impact on the state of Illinois is clear: The region is uniquely positioned to benefit from this confluence of increased transportation demand due to its locational advantages. The region is not capitalizing on its locational and market-based advantages. Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, have experienced substantial economic turnarounds. In addition to increasing productivity, EVs are also reducing the environmental impact by applying clean energy such as fuel cells. In the last decade, significant advancements have come about in clean energy production, yet adoption of new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies still lag due to affordability and technical barriers. In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy launched the Hydrogen Energy Earthshot with the goal of reducing the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% per $1 kilogram in one decade. As new applications for hydrogen are developed, it is projected that hydrogen could reach a $130-$170 billion a year industry in the U.S. by 2050. The inclusion of clean energy technology will also help reduce emissions in the Illinois and stimulate the economy through green electricity and fuel cell technology.
In addition, the communities are hit hard during the crisis. As of May 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the area’s average unemployment rate to be 19%. These rates are even higher for our target minority population living in low-income communities. For example, the population of Riverdale is 93% African American with a median income of $14,000 (2013-2017 ACS 5-year estimates). The economic and demographic changes reshaping the region present both challenges and opportunities. Equitable regional prosperity requires increased opportunity and resources for all residents. This program is a start to provide more jobs and economic growth to the disadvantaged communities. The proposed project will also make concerted efforts to support workforce plan to train disadvantaged population groups in working with new technology so that they will be able to avail of jobs created in the industry.
To ensure that Illinois can create a robust sustainable, and inclusive supply chain for the electric vehicle industry, the Supply Chain Innovation Center at GSU and the Center for Urban Transportation at UIC are collaborating and proposing to develop this proposal. The team will start with a research of EV in the State of Illinois to identify companies in the EV industry and suppliers to OEMs, including an assessment of their resource base and capabilities, and further deepen working relationships with those companies. Then via interviews and market research, the team will contact the user infrastructure assessment to assess the needs of current EV industry to further prepare for the regional matchmaking events to support sustaining and developing the economy of the state, which is the element (b) Economic Development of the NOFO. The team will also assess the workforce needs from EV and related industry to support developing and sustaining the education of its citizens and developing a productive and inclusive workforce for the 21st century, which is the element (a) Education and Workforce Development. Besides, this program is a start to provide more jobs and economic growth to the disadvantaged communities. the proposed project will also make concerted efforts to support workforce plan to train disadvantaged population groups in working with new technology so that they will be able to avail of jobs created in the industry. The team aims to drive inclusive innovation, equitable workforce development and sustainable economic growth throughout the state.
The proposed project is aligned with all five performance goals defined in IDOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and coupled with the proposed Connect2Work Partnership Program. It supports the efficient, safe, and equitable movement of people and goods.
The proposed project is also aligned with the five policy priorities identified in Connecting Cook County 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan. It is studying and implementing the priority of supporting the region’s role as North America’s transportation capital via the research work to document, assess, and prepare optimum growth strategies for EV industry in relation to current trends, available property, existing infrastructure, and condition/capacity of respective transportation systems. It incorporates existing market sustainability and new market identifications (including modern transportation, logistic, and communication technologies and clean energy applications) in a series of site-specific interim reports to support the priority of maintaining and modernizing what already exists while ensuring that today’s investments do not preclude future innovation and growth. Besides, culminating in a project identifying optimum matchmaking strategies and public/private investment will support the performance-based program development and near-term investment management plan. Finally, given the region’s unique manufacturing and logistics clusters and demographic features, the results from the proposed study will help best connect the transportation assets to the significant developments in the study area that would encourage active development through connecting workforce via modern technologies, thereby further promoting equal access to opportunities for all regional residents.
Download the complete GSU IIN Sustaining Illinois proposal.