bout Us

Mission

HSIEC assists entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses with the commercialization of technologies, products, and services that improve homeland security and defense and provide dual benefit in other commercial industries.

Vision

Illinois companies will be recognized as leaders in the development of homeland security innovations crucial to the protection of our nation, its people, and its critical infrastructure, especially its transportation systems and logistics networks.

Background

Launched in October 2005, the Homeland Security Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center is part of statewide network of Entrepreneurship Centers sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

HSIEC is a joint effort of two bureaus of DCEO—the Homeland Security Market Development (HSMD) Bureau and the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN)—and Northwestern University. HSIEC works in close partnership with the Illinois Technology Enterprise Center in Evanston, a DCEO sponsored resource dedicated to helping technology-based entrepreneurs.

HSIEC is the only Entrepreneurship Center with a strategic focus on homeland security technology, products and services and is a resource to the entire Entrepreneurship Network.