CSU joins historic Cleveland Innovation District partnership

On January 25, Cleveland State University joined Case Western Reserve University, along with the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and the MetroHealth System, in announcing a historic partnership focused on making Northeast Ohio and the state more attractive to business and more competitive regionally, nationally and globally in the growing healthcare and IT sectors.

The Cleveland Innovation District, a consortium fueled by $265 million in investments by the Ohio Development Services Agency and JobsOhio, aims to create a global pathogen research center and bring 20,000 jobs to Ohio within the next decade, capitalizing on Cleveland’s already well-known medical research work. The project will encourage additional startups and companies to invest in the effort and is the largest JobsOhio has ever committed to in terms of money and job creation.

Gov. Mike DeWine joined a wide range of state and local leaders in announcing the project, including McDonald Hopkins’ David Gunning, the chairman of Cleveland State University’s board of trustees.

CSU President Harlan Sands said that CSU and Case Western plan to double the number of people graduating with 19 specific degrees over the next decade. “This investment is not just about creating a new opportunity for folks to be re-educated,” Sands said. “But it’s pairing it with these institutions where there are jobs, where there’s going to be opportunities in an emerging economy.”

As part of the collaboration with JobsOhio, CSU will receive a significant investment to help grow Northeast Ohio’s talent pool and will become a talent pipeline for the Cleveland Innovation District, creating for the first time a direct link between the university and Cleveland’s medical and health care leaders. As the region’s only urban public research institution and with 80 percent of its graduates living and working in Northeast Ohio, CSU will continue to play a vital role in producing highly skilled and talented individuals to support the region’s growth, while providing promising careers for graduates. CSU is uniquely suited to be part of this transformative concept, already having in place degree pathways in post-pandemic health care careers, emerging technologies, life sciences, and data-intensive fields that are the backbone of the Cleveland Innovation District. The university also has a strong track record of creating experiential learning/co-op opportunities that place students with local companies where they stay and work after graduation.

The Cleveland Innovation District shows that collaboration, investment, talent and leadership can bring about innovation and job creation that will drive direct economic benefit to the region. McDonald Hopkins is proud to highlight the work Dave has done as CSU’s chair and we know he and CSU are excited to be part of this opportunity.