Cleveland Plus Industries + Clusters
Built on a strong foundation of 20th century innovation and leadership, today ClevelandPlus is transforming to a global hub for emerging technologies. Our innovative foundation has created world-renowned healthcare and bioscience research that is changing the world. Our rich history has allowed Cleveland Plus to become the nation's leader in polymers, plastics and chemicals. Our capabilities make us the hub for emerging advanced energies, advanced manufacturing, food processing and data centers. Not to mention our foundation in financial and legal services enable businesses to thrive in the region.
Healthcare and Life Sciences
With the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic plus more than 400 bioscience companies and more than $420 million invested in our region's biotechnology and biosciences capabilities in the last 3 years, Cleveland Plus is a driving force in the bio industry. Our 62 hospitals and 7 educational institutions, including Case Western Reserve University, that offer biosciences PhD programs plus the more than 230,000 employees in the field, produce innovative technologies that are moving the healthcare and medical devices industry forward. Medical device companies thrive in the Cleveland Plus region with close proximity to significant customers, suppliers and leading edge research, and skilled manufacturing workforce. A few highlights:
- BioEnterprise, a business formation, recruitment, and acceleration initiative located in the Cleveland Plus region, has created, recruited and accelerated more than 50 companies, creating more than $65 million in revenue and more than 160 technology transfer deals.
- The Cleveland Clinic is developing the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center (GCIC) with a $60 million from the state of Ohio's Third Frontier Project, a billion dollar effort to expand Ohio's high-tech research capabilities, promote innovation and create high-paying jobs.
- Health care startups in Northeast Ohio raised nearly three times as much money from venture capitalists last year as they did in 2006, according to a report by BioEnterprise, the region's bioscience company developer. Companies in Greater Cleveland raised $241.8 million in venture capital last year compared with $87.9 million in the prior year. Among the states and region, Minnesota and Ohio tied for first place by attracting $296 million apiece last year. Next was Indiana with $135.6 million, Illinois with $125.5 million, and Western Pennsylvania with $101.4 million.
Advanced Manufacturing
Cleveland Plus was a pioneer in the automotive manufacturing industry, leading to an emergence of innovation and expertise in productivity that makes Northeast Ohio a leader in advanced manufacturing. Due to the region's close proximity to waterways and railroads, we became manufacturing experts. Plus, our assets in metalworking, polymer and electronics, and our skilled labor, help create a unique industrial resource network that supports instrumentation, controls, biomedical, automotive, industrial machinery, and consumer durables production. ClevelandPlus is proud of companies like Ford, General Motors, Eaton, Rockwell Automation, Timken, Diebold, and Parker Hannifin. Innovation represents the future of the Northeast Ohio economy, and the region's innovative economy rests on a simple fact: "We make things efficiently and well."
Logistics and Distribution
Northeast Ohio's geographic location is ideal for logistics operations and distribution centers. Situated on the shores of Lake Erie and the banks of the Ohio River, Cleveland Plus provides port access not only to the Great Lakes Region, but also to worldwide ports via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Mississippi River. Centrally located between Chicago and New York, more than half of the United States, and much of Canada, is within a 1 day drive, more than any other region, ensuring that products can be distributed quickly and cost effectively.
Polymers, Plastics and Chemicals
The ClevelandPlus region is the worldwide leader in plastics manufacturing, innovation and commercialization. Plus, we are home to a wide variety of markets and end-user applications in the chemistry industry, producing such products as industrial gases, paints and pigments, industrial chemicals, soaps and cleaners, rubber products, clay and concrete products and adhesives and sealants. Companies such as Goodyear, PolyOne, Sherwin Williams, and RPM International are just a few of the recognizable names that call Cleveland Plus home. In the Cleveland Plus region exists strong cooperation between the academic and corporate industry spectrums. Our world-class research institutions, such as the University of Akron's College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering plus Case Western Reserve University's Macromolecular Institute will give you access to the most cutting edge technologies and R&D, plus unending workforce development & growth opportunities.
Advanced Energy
Ohio is leading the nation in advanced energy research and production, creating major technological advances that are driving the future of this industry. Ohio is one of the few places in the world where all phases of fuel cell development take place, from research and development, to component supply, to final product manufacturing, leaving the state poised to lead the nation's fuel cell industry as a top research and manufacturing hub. In fact, Cleveland Plus is home to Rolls-Royce' US headquarters for its fuel cell business, joining GrafTech, and HydroGen in the region. Plus, Stark State College of Technology's $4.7 million Fuel Cell Prototyping Center and the Case Western Reserve University's Wright Fuel Cell Group make Cleveland Plus the center of the action in fuel cells.
On May 1, 2008, Governor Strickland signed into law a new energy bill for Ohio. This law changes the market environment under which Ohio electric utilities will operate, including how utilities will procure power supplies and pass the costs on to customers in retail electricity prices.
Most notably, the new law establishes requirements for electric utilities to obtain at least 25% of their power requirements by 2025 from so-called advanced energy sources – including renewable energy (such as wind, solar and biomass), fuel cells, energy efficiency, and next-generation coal and nuclear technologies. Half of this requirement must be satisfied by renewable energy, and utilities must begin obtaining new renewable energy supplies as soon as 2010. In addition, electric utilities must implement energy efficiency programs that reduce 2025 electricity demand by 22%, with initial programs rolling out starting in 2010.
Not only will these provisions reduce the emissions associated with Ohio’s electricity sector, they will create a local market that facilitates the attraction and growth of advanced energy businesses for the Cleveland Plus economy.
Aerospace
Cleveland Plus has a very strong, yet still emerging aerospace cluster. From research and development to manufacturing, our region's technological, engineering, metalworking and advanced manufacturing capabilities make this an ideal location for aerospace businesses to thrive.
- Consider the NASA Glenn Research Center, the only northern NASA center, and one of the few centers involved in space activity. In fact, NASA Glenn will assemble and test the new spacecraft that will be used in future missions to the Moon and Mars. In 2006, NASA Glenn was awarded the design of the service module component of the crew exploration vehicle (CEV). This recent announcement secures NASA Glenn's role in NASA's space exploration mission.
- Plus, at the Lockheed Martin Airdock in Akron, a new High Altitude Airship (HAA) is being developed that will provide sustained operations for one month at 65,000 feet while providing 10 kilowatts of power to a 4,000-pound payload. Additionally, the HAA prototype will demonstrate station-keeping and autonomous flight control capabilities.
Insurance, Financial and Professional Services
Perhaps surprising to some, Cleveland Plus is a U.S. hub for financial services. With a Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, and the headquarters of multi-national banks including KeyCorp and National City, financial services is a thriving industry in Northeast Ohio. Plus, Progressive Insurance's headquarters and our region's thousands of professional services firms employ tens of thousands of creative and talented individuals. This sector continues to be a robust and growing industry for the regional economy, bringing in a talented pool of professionals, an array of services for all companies and individuals, and attracting those companies that provide service support, such as banking technology firms and IT firms.
Flexible Liquid Crystal Displays
Industrial research centers around the world are pursuing the development of flexible displays; however the manufacturing base has yet to develop. Northeast Ohio stands poised to establish the early lead in this global race. Our region's strong industrial base in plastics and printing, and leading research strengths in liquid crystals, polymers and engineering make it the logical home for this emerging industry. ClevelandPlus is capitalizing on this lead, assuring that the enabling technologies and manufacturers establish in this region.
Food Processing and Distribution
The reason most commonly cited for Northeast Ohio's leading position in food processing is our strategic location between the grain belt and the populous Eastern markets. Underscoring ClevelandPlus location advantages is the fact that the state's borders are within 500 miles of 60 percent of both the U.S. and Canadian populations. Companies that call our region home include Smuckers, Sugardale Foods, Heinz Weight Watchers division, Smith's Dairy, Shearer's Foods and Nestle Frozen Foods.
Data and Contact Call Centers
High volume labor, plus low cost real estate, plus strong telecommunications, energy and fiber-optic infrastructure makes Cleveland Plus a prime location for data centers and call centers. Located in the middle of the action, this region features clusters in financial services and health care, two sectors that rely heavily on data centers and contact centers for support. Plus, in 2006, the Intelligent Community Forum deemed Cleveland Plus an "Intelligent Community" due to our strong fiber optic network, the only US region to earn such a distinction.
Entrepreneurialism Plus Innovation
All the world's largest companies began with an idea passionately pursued by an entrepreneur. This spirit turned Northeast Ohio into the nation's 12th largest economy today and that tradition continues today as our region embraces and encourages entrepreneurial spirit.
In 2006, the ClevelandPlus Region was named one of the hottest regions for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine - higher than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and New York. The Intelligent Community Forum listed ClevelandPlus as one of seven cities in the world (and the only city in the United Stated) as a "Top 7 Intelligent Community", meaning that we are a paragon for what the ICF calls "vibrant local economies and healthy societies."
Incubators and accelerators are popping up throughout the region. Plus, through technology transfer initiatives and unmatched research departments, our universities are leading the charge as well.
Examples of organizations that foster this spirit include:
- BioEnterprise, a business formation, recruitment, and acceleration initiative located in the ClevelandPlus region, has created, recruited and accelerated more than 50 companies, creating more than $65 million in revenue and more than 160 technology transfer deals.
- JumpStart Inc. is a venture development organization that advises, invests in, assists, and accelerates Northeast Ohio's early-stage ideas and companies. To date, JumpStart has invested more thank $7 million in more than 20 companies while providing thousands of hours of pro-bono advising and consulting services.
- NorTech is a technology-based economic development organization focused on continuous improvement of Northeast Ohio's technology environment and economy through innovation and entrepreneurship
- The Youngstown Business Incubator has a proven track record of successful since its inception. YBI adopted a new mission statement that focused the organization on "accelerating the formation, growth and success rates of scalable, technology based businesses within the Mahoning Valley. Since April 2000, YBI companies have received 16 new Intellectual Property patents, created over 160 new full-time, technology-based jobs, and developed 19 new software applications.