In early October 2024, the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, led a delegation of Illinois leaders in business, education, and government on a trade mission to Japan. The mission was to encourage greater Japanese investment in the state.
Governor Jay Robert “JB” Pritzker of Illinois led a mission of leaders in Illinois businesses, education, and government to Japan to discuss strengthening economic cooperation in Illinois’ key growth industries. Clean energy, manufacturing, life sciences, and quantum technology, among others, were emphasized by the Illinois delegation and are the beneficiaries of recent immense American investment.
On October 7th, the first day of Pritzker’s trade mission, Sysmex America announced a $20.6 million dollar investment into northeastern Illinois to expand its facilities and operations in the region. Sysmex America, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sysmex Corporation, manufactures medical diagnostic equipment for hospitals, research facilities, and independent laboratories. This investment will create 110 new jobs and retain nearly 550 full-time positions in Illinois, where Sysmex America is headquartered.
Governor Pritzker, who assumed office in January 2019, has tried to revitalize Illinois as a fruitful business hub for domestic and foreign firms alike. In a press release regarding the trade mission, Governor JB Pritzker stated, “When I became Governor, I promised to be our state's best Chief Marketing Officer—sharing with any and all global partners that Illinois is the best place to live, work, and do business.”
One of his goals is shaping Illinois into the “Silicon Valley of quantum development.” In July 2024, Governor Pritzker announced the location of the world’s first quantum research campus, the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park (IQMP), in Chicago—after $500 million dollars of state funding plus significant federal and industry support was received.
Chicago's South Side (Image: Jacob Erhart, East-West Center in Washington)
The IQMP will make unprecedented advances in quantum and propel the development of the sector. The quantum industry has a predicted worth of $2 trillion dollars in just the next ten years and is considered a critical and emerging technology by the White House.
Governor Pritzker and delegates from the IQMP shared these updates with Japanese leaders during the trade mission, aspiring for further Japanese investment into quantum.
Nevertheless, the Japanese and American quantum partnership made significant steps forward over a year before Pritzker’s trade mission. In 2023, the University of Chicago and Tohoku University announced a collaboration to fuel quantum research and grow the international quantum workforce. In the same year, the University of Chicago made a similar partnership with Tokyo University at the Hiroshima G7 Summit.
The Illinois-Japan partnership is long-standing: Japanese companies provide over 57,000 jobs in Illinois, and their total investments have reached over $4.9 billion dollars since 2003. Governor Pritzker’s trade mission demonstrates that Illinois is ready for new investments and businesses, and to further strengthen its relations and cooperation with Japanese partners.
Jacob Erhart is a Fall 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. He is a fourth-year student at the American University School of International Service with a focus on foreign policy and East Asia.