This could go into a lot of different categories so feel free to move it to the most appropriate thread.

 

Ohio awarding "hub" status to Cleveland's Health-Tech Corridor

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland's health care cluster is about to burn brighter.

 

Gov. Ted Strickland will announce Thursday that the newly formed Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, stretching from University Circle to Cleveland State University, will be designated a "Hub of Opportunity and Innovation" by the state.

 

"It's fair to say the assets here are stellar and make for the perfect hub," said Mark Lundine, manager of the hubs program for the Department of Development.

 

Cleveland's hub is the second one in the state. Last fall, Dayton was named a hub for aerospace development.The hubs "are a central part of our plan to create economic opportunity in Ohio," Strickland said in an e-mailed statement. "And the state of Ohio stands squarely beside the burgeoning local commitment to the bioscience industry."

 

All of Ohio's biggest cities will eventually have hubs, which are designed to boost promising industry clusters and the urban neighborhoods around them.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/ohio_awarding_hub_status_to_clevelands_health-tech_corridor.html

"All of Ohio's biggest cities will eventually have hubs, which are designed to boost promising industry clusters and the urban neighborhoods around them. "

 

This quote is the most interesting.  It's almost as if Ohio is starting the reverse the trends of the past and focus more on it's urban cores again.

Well after tons of study’s and reports done by Brookings and others about the deterioration of Ohio’s urban centers and the importance of fostering and prioritizing these areas in order to reverse Ohio’s fortunes, I think Ohio has finally come to some realizations. 

 

The state has been attempting to work on these issues by forming state task forces to come up with a plan.  The Report from the Compact with Ohio’s Cities Task Force Report outlined some of these recommendations to give Ohio’s urban centers an edge when it comes to development/redevelopment and smart growth. 

 

I think the “hubs” were meant to be a guide, coupled with the Third Frontier Program, to funnel $$$ to these areas.     

http://www.morpc.org/pdf/Compact_Task_Force_Final_Report.pdf

 

Nice!  I hope this actually translates into progress......

From Ideastream:

 

Cleveland’s Health Corridor To Include New Philips Imaging Center

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Topics: Economy, Politics, Health

 

 

Cleveland's Health and Technology Corridor received an official state designation that many believe will help increase its global competitiveness in medical innovation. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

 

Governor Ted Strickland declared the Corridor stretching from University Circle to the Cleveland State University a state hub of innovation and opportunity. 

 

 

Shah:  “Philips could put this center anywhere in the world.  They’re headquatered in the Netherlands, they’ve got operations globally, but they chose to locate it here in Cleveland because of this unprecedented collaboration and connection between the clinical institutions, the research institutions, the state, the city and the county.”

 

http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/30940

And Crains:

 

Philips Healthcare to invest $33M in imaging center at UH Case Medical Center  

 

By CHUCK SODER and JAY MILLER

 

3:07 pm, June 3, 2010

 

 

 

Philips Healthcare, a worldwide leader in medical imaging systems, will invest $33.4 million in a new Global Advanced Imaging Innovation Center to be based at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

 

UH Case Medical Center will collaborate with the company, which bases its computed tomography and nuclear medicine businesses in Highland Heights, in a five-year partnership to research and test a variety of medical imaging products developed by Philips.

 

Backers believe the imaging center will boost Northeast Ohio into a worldwide center for imaging technology because it will include radiology experts from business and medical research who will coordinate clinical research and develop and commercialize advanced imaging technologies.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100603/FREE/100609915/1007&Profile=1007

Health and Technology Corridor creates Cleveland jobs

 

Short 2 minute video on the project on the website

 

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/health-and-technology-corridor-creates-cleveland-jobs

 

CLEVELAND - A 3-mile long stretch of real estate on both sides of Euclid Avenue has been officially designated as the Cleveland Health and Technology Corridor.

 

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland made the annoucement during a news conference at BioEnterprise-- a Cleveland business formation and recruitment group that's created more than 80 companies in the last eight years.

 

The corridor stretches from University Hospitals west toward downtown Cleveland and already includes 75 bio medical and 45 hi-tech comapnies.

 

The governor said northeast Ohio already employs 230,000 health care and bio science workers.

 

 

 

I'm thinking the med mart will get some trickle down effect from this designation, not to mention, I'm hoping Philip's imaging will utilize their brand new show room options now downtown.

phillips is no joke. a very well known company -- this is great news!