Tech Park: Southern Illinois Airport
Tech Park, located at Southern Illinois Airport, is home to Southern Illinois University’s renowned automotive program that offers a bachelor of science in Automotive Technology. The Transportation Education Center at SIU Carbondale is an 186,000 square-foot facility that houses the university’s Automotive and Aviation programs. A separate 32,000 square-foot building houses automotive components, materials, and over 100 corporate donation vehicles dedicated to developing hands-on, technical students, into high-performing industry professionals. In addition, the SIU Automotive Program prepares students with the soft skills needed to be successful in the automotive and aftermarket industries. The program each year provides a talent pipeline of over 300 hands-on graduates.
Each year up to 40 major brands travel to recruit SIU Automotive students for corporate-level responsibilities. Expansion plans include an Automotive/Mobility Proving-Grounds track and Autonomous Mock City.
In November 2023, economic development individuals from Jackson County attended the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) trade show in Las Vegas which featured over 2,000 vendors. This group of professionals were networking with industries that are looking to expand their business while promoting the region’s business-friendly environment, low cost of living, and readily available property.
The available property at the Southern Illinois Airport is located in the Jackson County’s Enterprise Zone. The EZ offers financial incentives including:
- Abatement of Property Tax on New Improvements
- Deduction of Sales Tax for Building Materials
- Additional State of Illinois Tax Incentives
The Tech Park’s combination of aviation and automotive programs offers expanding companies an unparalleled opportunity that is not available anywhere else in the US.