Above / The Birck Family Innovation Gateway at Naper Settlement celebrated its ribbon-cutting opening in May 2024. Just a block from the Riverwalk along Webster Street, the Innovation Gateway provided welcoming space for the recent presentation about the community’s famed Riverwalk for the Americas Competitiveness Exchange. (PN File Photo)
City of Naperville Report
The City of Naperville, through the efforts of the Naperville Development Partnership (NDP), was honored to host over 60 participants from the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) last week, bringing together key government and business representatives from Latin America, Canada, Europe and the United States to explore economic collaboration and growth opportunities.
The visit to Naperville was part of the 20th edition of the week-long ACE exchange. The event brings top global and regional leaders together to explore partnerships, innovation and entrepreneurship that promote economic development and increase trade. Illinois was selected through a competitive process, and Naperville was honored to be included as part of the visit to leverage key target industries, including life science, quantum computing and AI, clean energy, ag tech and advanced manufacturing.
“Naperville was thrilled to welcome ACE delegates to our city and share our economic development story,” Mayor Scott Wehrli said. “Naperville’s focus on transforming our portion of the Interstate-88 corridor into its next iteration as an innovation center aligns perfectly with ACE’s goal to accelerate economic growth through transformative technologies.
Ecolab’s Home of Water: A Beacon of Innovation
Delegates visited Ecolab’s state-of-the-art Naperville campus, known for its innovative approach to water management and sustainability.
With an on-site research and development center, this facility fuels Ecolab’s innovation in water, with solutions that help industries take a circular approach to water management. The visit invited attendees to explore the latest advancements in water technology, learn how Ecolab serves growing and water-intensive industries like data centers and microelectronics and witness the impact of Ecolab’s initiatives firsthand on a local and global scale.
“At Ecolab, every drop counts,” said Josh Magnuson, EVP & GM, Global Water Solutions Group for Ecolab. “We use innovative programs and technology to help our customers perform at their best, so they can protect vital resources, like water, profitably.
“The exchanges we had yesterday with our guests from ACE served to reiterate how critical and applicable protecting water is for all stakeholders worldwide.”
The Naperville Story: A Legacy of Partnership & Innovation
After their Ecolab visit, delegates were welcomed to Naper Settlement’s Innovation Gateway Center for an event hosted by Wintrust and the Naperville Development Partnership. Delegates enjoyed a City of Naperville staff presentation about the community’s famed Riverwalk. This pathway was a key component in downtown revitalization in the late 1900s and an example of how Naperville advances excellence through creativity, ambition, and collaboration.
Attendees heard from Mayor Wehrli how the I-88 corridor they had just toured transformed Naperville from a farm community into a hub for emerging technologies in the 1960s and 70s, resulting in the well-planned community that residents, businesses, and visitors enjoy today.
“For over 60 years, Naperville has been a leader in attracting and retaining world-changing companies to our community and the corridor, including Ecolab,” Wehrli said. “The connections formed and conversations started during ACE’s visit will further our economic goals, open us up to new partnerships in some of today’s most dynamic and cutting-edge sectors, and benefit the region.”
Americas Competitiveness Exchange aka ACE
The Americas Competitiveness Exchange fosters economic development and innovation across an entrepreneurial ecosystem of government, business, policy and economic stakeholders from many different countries and communities.
Originally Posted, May 6, 2025 / Last Updated May 7, 2025
