Ohio Technology in Your Smart Phone

I read a great article by The Plain Dealer about what Ohio's GrafTech International has been up to -- how their technology may be right in your pocket.

There is a little piece of Cleveland technology in the smart phone in your pocket, in the big flat-screen TV on your living room wall and in the high-end laptop you have been coveting.

It's a piece of graphite engineered to a high-tech thinness that makes it as flexible as paper without affecting one of its hallmarks -- the uncanny ability to sop up and dissipate heat better than any metal. Without it, the gee-whiz gadgets would burn up from the heat they generate.

(Source The Plain Dealer, July 17, 2010. Read the full story here).

GrafTech products, which include graphite electrodes, advanced carbon and graphite materials, and flexible graphite, are manufactured on four continents and sold in more than 80 countries around the world. Continuing a century-old tradition of global leadership, the employees of GrafTech are united in their dedication to common goals: continually improving productivity and safety, delivering the highest levels of quality and value to customers, and creating value for shareholders.

GrafTech has received funding from the Ohio Third Frontier for several projects. The Ohio Third Frontier is an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to create technology-based products, companies, industries and jobs. Since its inception, the Ohio Third Frontier has created, capitalized or attracted more than 600 companies, has created nearly 55,000 direct and indirect jobs and helped create $6.6 billion in economic impact in Ohio, a 9:1 return on investment. The State of Ohio also helped GrafTech move its global headquarters to Parma, Ohio in 2006 with the Job Creation Tax Credit.

Click here to read more about what GrafTech's doing at its global headquarters in Ohio.

Ohio-Based Stem Cell Research Center Applying Findings to Develop New Technology

Ohio is leading the pack yet again. This time we are talking about stem cell research. One Northeast Ohio center is working to apply its stem cell research findings to develop new technology. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Debra Grega, Ph.D., executive director at The Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM) in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Grega told me that CSCRM is a component of the Ohio-based National Center for Regenerative Medicine, which is the 4th largest stem cell research organization in the U.S. Through industry and education partnerships, CSCRM provides comprehensive stem cell research with the ultimate goal of applying findings to develop new technology for treating various human diseases.

The revolutionary advancements coming out of CSCRM are a result of the educational partnerships and investment it fostered with the support of the Ohio Third Frontier. By cultivating academic-business partnerships, the Ohio Third Frontier has spurred development of commercially relevant research in key industry sectors, including stem cells.

With efforts focused on regenerative medicine, including first-in-the-nation stem cell clinical trials and innovative tissue engineering programs, CSCRM is currently exploring issues such as heart disease, cancer, genetic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. As executive director at CSCRM, Dr. Grega coordinates interdisciplinary research groups, biotechnology business and new technology development.

Click here to read my full interview with Dr. Grega.

Ohio’s Outshining the Silicon Valley

While many other states depend on a single industry or a small group of industries, which often limits the opportunities for doing business within the state, Ohio is doing just the opposite. The state’s top 10 industries, which include aerospace, agriculture, automotive, bioscience, energy, logistics, manufacturing, polymer/plastics and professional/financial services, gross more than $500 billion annually. Ohio’s cornucopia of industries is attractive for companies in other industries, such as information technology, that are looking to escape the over crowdedness and tight competition in hubs like the Silicon Valley.

I recently spoke with Ravi Kunduru, CEO and founder of Ventech Solutions, the world's first Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 5 (v 1.2) software company serving companies in the United States and globally. Ravi was poised to move his young firm to San Jose in 2000, but when the market softened, he waited. To his delight, Ventech continued to grow in Ohio's stable, diverse economy while IT companies "where the action was" struggled.

Deciding to stay in Ohio was a decision that quickly paid off for Ravi. As other IT companies cut staff, he was adding skilled employees from Ohio's highly educated talent pool and pulling those from the west coast looking for a better balance between work and play.

Click here for the complete interview with Ravi Kunduru.

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Ohio is Committed to Technology Innovation

Ohio's business-friendly environment encourages and stimulates innovation and company growth. The state's commitment in technology and facilities and training creates an environment that is ripe for technology and capital investment. In addition, state and local tax incentives, grants and low-interest financing offer businesses the opportunity to reduce risk while encouraging investment in Ohio.

I recently spoke with Matt Dopkiss co-founder of dynamIT Technologies, LLC, a web engineering, design and development firm, about his thoughts on how Ohio’s business environment has helped his technology company grow. Some of dynamIt's most notable clients include The Associated Press, Pizza Hut and the British Broadcasting Corporation. Additionally, dynamIt has strong partnerships with marketing firms and advertising agencies as the technical complement to their planning, strategy and design teams.

Matt shared with me his belief that Ohio's combination of a talented workforce, a commitment to innovation and technology, and a rewarding lifestyle makes the state the perfect place to turn to for great business opportunities in the growing technology industry.

Click here for the complete interview with Matt Dopkiss.

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Where is the best Cyberinfrastructure in the United States? Ohio.

I recently spoke with Stan Anhalt, executive director of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, regarding the impact of a location’s technological infrastructure on the potential success of a business. Here is what I learned.

Stan was recently in California giving a talk to an audience of high performance computing experts. In his presentation he made the claim that Ohio has the best “cyberinfrastructure” in the nation and then asked the audience if the statement was accurate in their opinion. The collective perspective was yes. In Ohio, the creation of this world-class cyberinfrastructure has been enabled by a strong and forward-thinking public-private collaboration.

Do you believe a world-class cyberstructure should be a key consideration in making a location choice for capital investment?What is your experience in gaining access to the technical infrastructure your company requires to be successful?
Take a moment and provide a comment sharing your point-of-view.

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