Success and Support
MechSE is a leader in translational research. Many of our faculty's discoveries in the lab and our students' work in the classroom have been translated into solutions that address real-world problems. A strong culture of support helps ensure innovative startups bring their great ideas to life. Below are just a few of the resources and facilities available to you starting on day one of your career at Illinois.
MechSE MakerWorks—a 4,000-sq-ft “makerspace”—features metal-working and wood-working machines, 3D printers, and much more. This innovative space in the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building is the place for forward-thinking student entrepreneurs.
The Siebel Center for Design, open to students across campus, offers a variety of workshops and courses, as well as the use of equipment and tools in their shop and makerspace to help people bring their ideas to life.
A degree in Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE) teaches engineering students to better understand the innovative processes involved in identifying complex technical problems and leading efforts to provide engineering solutions.
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program at the Research Park provides free consulting to new startup ventures and prospective technology entrepreneurs.
The EnterpriseWorks technology business incubator at the Research Park supports University of Illinois and community entrepreneurs in all stages of their startup journey.
Through programs that include the annual Cozad New Venture Competition and Social Fuse, among others, the Technology Entrepreneur Center helps innovative thinkers develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Want to enroll in entrepreneurship-focused courses? View the entire list of options,
as well as a myriad of additional resources, on the Illinois Entrepreneurship website.