The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP) has already become a regional force since launching in January. The partnership is a collaboration among northeastern Illinois' seven counties — Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will — and the City of Chicago.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) set GCEP in motion two years ago, supported by a grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, at the request of the region's county board chairs and the deputy mayor of Chicago.

Here are four recent highlights for GCEP and World Business Chicago, which manages the partnership:

1. Illinois is an innovation hub. A research report from the World Business Chicago Research Center found that Illinois ranks fifth in the United States, with nearly 67,000 companies involved in product or business innovations.
2. Choose DuPage highlighted the creativity it took to turn the closed Pheasant Run golf course in St. Charles into a 1.5-million-square-foot industrial development.
3. Site Selection Magazine ranked the top 20 counties by economic development projects — and four of "America's Best" counties are in northeastern Illinois! Cook County tied for 2nd overall with 231 projects, DuPage County was 9th with 91 projects, followed by Kane County (14th, 52 projects), and Will County (16th, 48 projects).
4. In Crain's Chicago Business, GCEP touted successes such as S&C Electric's expansion in Palatine and Lion Electric's manufacturing facility in Will County.

Read more economic news in the latest regional economy newsletter.