More than a half-dozen idea factories are slated to open in Chicago over the next couple of years. Some are focused on scientific research, others on product design and development. All are hoping to contribute to the next generation of homegrown tech startups.

Most of the planned centers are coming out of the area's universities, which are eager to commercialize their research and meet growing demand from students and faculty for more entrepreneurship-related resources. But private-sector groups are jumping in as well.

"For a healthy startup scene, you need connectivity and you need density," said John Flavin, executive director of the Chicago Innovation Exchange, a recently announced project from the University of Chicago. "What's occurring now is the engineering of those densities through the build-out of these innovation spaces."

Serving as partial inspiration for these centers is 1871, the 50,000-square foot startup hub at the Merchandise Mart that opened last year. The collaborative workspace, which caters mostly to early-stage companies building Web and mobile applications, is often held up as a symbol of the city's bustling tech sector. It hosts multiple events each week and acts as a connection point for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, academics and industry officials. Organizers of the new tech centers are hoping to foster this same mix of people.

"1871 has been phenomenal, and people have been looking to replicate this secret sauce," said Mark Harris, president of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, an organization comprising public- and private-sector members focused on tech-driven economic development. "The fact we have a physical space really has illuminated the value of having places where there are these interactions that wouldn't have happened otherwise."

Organizers of these tech hubs are raising funds for their construction projects and seeking support from local corporations. As Illinois Institute of Technology Provost Alan Cramb put it, "You're always in competition for money." Still, he and his counterparts at other institutions said they believe there is plenty of support for all the centers, especially as the tech sector continues to grow.

"Chicago has a long way to go before it saturates the threshold where there ends up being competition for those kinds of resources," Flavin said.

Here's a look at the tech hubs coming to the area:

Health, Technology, Innovation at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Located in the Illinois Medical District near the University of Illinois at Chicago's Medical School, this 12,000-square-foot space is scheduled to open by year's end and serve as a "proof-of-concept center" for research in the biological sciences that could form the basis for viable businesses.

The state of Illinois' Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity provided half of the $3.4 million needed to overhaul the space, a former research animal care facility that had been empty for several years. UIC provided the rest of the funds.

Health, Technology, Innovation will rent office and laboratory space by the month. Members do not need a UIC affiliation to use the facilities. The idea behind HTI is to create a pipeline of research-based ideas with commercial potential.

IllinoisVentures, the University of Illinois' early-stage technology investment firm, will relocate from its current offices in the Civic Opera House to HTI. The center also will provide programming and educational seminars in topics such as navigating the regulatory process for drugs or raising investment, taught by industry experts.

Kapila Viges, director of EnterpriseWorks Chicago, said she wants representatives from corporations to hold office hours and run workshops. EnterpriseWorks is the University of Illinois' business incubator.

"Our success depends on having that early industry engagement," Viges said.

Planned biomedical center

Local biotech industry officials are working with the city and other organizations on a 25,000-square-foot space downtown for biomedical companies. Jeff Aronin, chief executive of Northbrook-based Paragon Pharmaceuticals, said the center will bring together entrepreneurs, academic institutions, investors and industry representatives. It will not have lab space, but it will be a hub for workshops and mentoring, as well as a meeting place for universities to connect with companies.

The center will be run as a nonprofit, and organizers are "moving in the right direction" on finding a space, Aronin said. It is targeted to open in early 2014.

The Garage at Northwestern University

Northwestern University officials are planning to open a space on the north side of its Evanston campus for students to tinker with ideas in early, pre-company stages. The center, which is part of the university's construction of a six-level parking structure, is designed for students from different disciplines — not just those studying business or engineering — to collaborate with each other. The Garage will have movable walls so that the space can be configured for big events or small groups.

"We really believe that the space matters and is central for creativity and innovation," said Alicia Loffler, executive director of Northwestern's Innovation and New Ventures Office. "The design of the space is key. ... It affects how people will interact."

Officials are hoping to open The Garage by the end of 2014, pending ongoing fundraising. Loffler said a representative from NUseeds, a newly created university fund for startups, will have an office in The Garage. Officials are also considering having an established startup company anchor the space and mentor students.

Coalition: Loop

This 10,000-square-foot space occupies the top floor of the Gage Building at 18 S. Michigan Ave. and provides 19 private offices and two general co-working spaces for members of the energy and green technology sector. Construction is almost complete, and Coalition co-founder David Rotbard has lined up about 40 tenants to move in by year's end.

"We're excited about bringing quality events and programming here for the industry and creating a space for the energy community to grow," said Rotbard, whose company, Micro Office, operates flexible work spaces in its home base of New York.