UC Executives Applaud Ohio Chamber Recommendations for Accelerating Ohio s Innovation Economy

Ohio must embrace research and innovation to jump-start an Ohio economy that is lagging behind peer states, according to a new report issued by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation. At the forefront of the Chamber’s report, “Ohio Bold,” is the important role Ohio’s public universities must play to make the state a leader in the innovation economy of the Midwest.

The policy proposals in

"Ohio Bold: A Blueprint for Accelerating the Innovation Economy"

include the creation of innovation hubs to accelerate economic development in the areas of next-generation manufacturing, smart infrastructure, future health and data analytics – all areas in which University of Cincinnati researchers are already at work. It goes on to call for the creation of incentives to invest in new products, process improvements, and measures to attract and retain talent.

UC President Neville R. Pinto said in response to the Chamber report: “Our culture of curiosity and ingenuity has given the world cooperative education, paradigm-changing inventions and lifesaving medicines. Innovation remains a central focus of our university, and it’s a core priority of

our strategic direction, Next Lives Here.

“We agree with the Ohio Bold report’s assertion that innovation is the key to the future economic success of the state of Ohio, as well as its finding that Ohio’s universities are the engines that will drive innovation and economic growth in the communities they serve.

“We welcome the Chamber’s recommendations, and we look forward to working closely with public and private stakeholders alike to foster a statewide culture of innovation that brings about prosperity and growth.”

Patrick Limbach, PhD, Vice President for Research and Ohio Eminent Scholar, said, “At the University of Cincinnati, our researchers pursue bold, world-changing discoveries every day.

“This new ‘Ohio BOLD’ report highlights the value and impact of UC’s vast and exciting research efforts. Not only does our research reputation attract top global talent; once here, our researchers train and inspire a new generation of inventors, creators and artists. They also bring millions of dollars of funding to our state and into our communities and propel our economy forward.

“The ‘Ohio BOLD’ report makes it clear that Ohio’s future success depends on investments in research and development—these are the kinds of investments that align with exciting work already underway at UC. As we work to implement UC’s ambitious Next Lives Here initiatives led by President Pinto and Provost Kristi Nelson, we are actively and enthusiastically supporting our researchers. We are incredibly proud of their work to develop new intellectual property, train new talent, collaborate with industry partners and work across disciplines. All of these are essential to accelerating Ohio’s innovation economy.

“The University of Cincinnati has always been a leader in providing students with real-world opportunities to put their learning into practice, especially via cooperative education, which we pioneered. The ‘Ohio Bold’ report tells us that our focus on developing talent—both in our research faculty and in our student population—is integral to accelerating our state’s innovation economy.”

UC has long recognized the importance of innovation as a key driver to economic growth. In 2017, Pinto and the Board of Trustees created the new Office of Innovation and invested in the development of the 1819 Innovation Hub to catalyze a burgeoning innovation corridor.

UC Chief Innovation Officer David J. Adams said, “My charge from the president is to create the ‘front door’ for community and industry to access the university. The innovation corridor supports industry partnerships in collaboration with UC, and industry responded quickly. P&G, Cincinnati Bell, and others have already co-located to the 1819 iHub.

“The challenges and opportunities outlined in this report are already being addressed and initiated here at UC. We are working aggressively to understand and address industry partner needs in the areas of talent attraction and retention, innovation initiatives, research support with our world-class faculty, and ongoing education in our dynamic, fast-paced world. Our collective focus is on leading urban public universities into this new era of innovation and impact.”