Cleveland invests big in innovation district
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted have unveiled The Cleveland Innovation District, a center of excellence that will be a catalyst for ongoing investment in Northeast Ohio. Partners include Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, The MetroHealth System, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University.
The State of Ohio, through DSA, and JobsOhio, and Cleveland Clinic, will commit a combined $565 million to the Cleveland Innovation District. A good portion of the money will be put towards the creation of the Cleveland Clinic’s new Global Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health.
Cleveland Clinic’s CEO and president Tom Mihaljevic, MD, said, “This historic investment will position Cleveland Clinic’s Global Center for Pathogen Research & Human Health to alter the course of human welfare. The world has experienced the destruction triggered by pathogens, we will be part of the solution.”
Economic impact
The Cleveland Innovation District’s goal is to bring 20,000 new jobs to Northeast Ohio over 10 years, including 10,000 direct jobs in the healthcare and IT sectors, as well as 10,000 indirect jobs. The economic impact of the Innovation District is expected to be $3 billion for Cleveland and Ohio.
“The Cleveland Innovation District creates partnerships across different sectors of the economy and positions Ohio as a competitive place to invest in,” said Governor Mike DeWine in a statement. “Each of the Cleveland Innovation District partners bring unique skills and areas of expertise. Having these institutions partner together will help Ohio emerge as a leader in healthcare and IT nationally and globally.”
The partners
Case Western Reserve’s Next Generation Health Care initiative will build on the university’s biomedical technologies and drug development to advance diagnosis and treatment for cancer, cardiac, neurological, and infectious diseases.
The MetroHealth System will further expand its expertise in population health, medical informatics, epidemiology and modeling to support early detection, and monitoring of disease spread within communities.
University Hospitals will leverage current research and partnerships in the Cleveland Innovation District to identify and attract technology and process innovation for pharmaceutical development generated in Northeast Ohio. Specifically, University Hospitals will lead efforts to advance medical research and product innovation.
Cleveland State University (CSU) will invest in education and talent development to increase the number of higher education degrees, adult learning opportunities, and virtual educational programming opportunities in key STEM fields.
Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson said the announcement is “another example of how our collaborative efforts position Cleveland’s economy for the future. We look forward to future collaboration with these partners to bring more jobs and innovation to the Cleveland Innovation District and Opportunity Corridor.”