Ohio knows the importance of collaboration. In a statewide project, the Ohio Hub of Innovation and Opportunity, eight niche hubs are popping up, each specializing in a different field, ripe with innovation. Last week, the state announced its second hub called the Cleveland Health and Technology Corridor. The goal is to develop advanced biomedical technology in collaboration with leaders in the industry.

"The idea is to take that growing sector and build on it to redevelop the geographic area," says Lisa Patt-McDaniel, director of the Ohio Department of Development. "Cleveland is building on a strong, thriving, growing sector in biomedical devices," which is what the focus will be, incorporating a multitude of institutions in that field.

Each hub is given a $250,000 grant to develop its corridor. In the case of Cleveland, the money will bring together the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga County Department of Development, city of Cleveland, MidTown Cleveland, Inc. and BioEnterprise.

Philips Healthcare

As part of the health and technology corridor, the Ohio Third Frontier Commission granted $5 million to support the Philips Healthcare Global Advanced Imaging Innovation Center in the corridor, bringing together University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

"We now have world-class partners 20 minutes down the road from headquarters," says Jay Mazelsky, Philips senior vice president and general manager for computed tomography and nuclear medicine.

Philips will work with University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University to develop and test high-end imaging technology. The collaboration will bring together scientists, engineers, doctors, clinicians and patients, moving forward technological innovation in biotechnology.

"A company like Philips has engineers and scientists but...[isn't] as familiar with clinical needs as doctors are. We know the clinical needs but don't have the engineers and scientists able to bring an idea we may have to a practical piece of equipment," says Dr. Pablo Ros, chairman of the department of radiology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

The center will house cutting-edge technology from Philips, including one of the first PET/MRI machines, which brings together the complementary capabilities of the two modalities. The research technology, not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will be located in the new University Hospitals Cancer Hospital, slated to open next spring.

With this collaboration, says Mazelsky, Philips can put better technology out the door.

The designated hub of health and technology will only help further advance Case Western Reserve University's "considerable" footprint in biomedicine, says Pamela Davis, dean of the university's school of medicine. "This is an opportunity to make sure that our discoveries move from the bench to the bedside," she tells DOTmed News. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to interact with cutting-edge industry."

Davis points out that Case Western is able to offer academic tools to help companies succeed. But ultimately it comes down to being able to improve patient care by combining the best academics and technology out there.

"The important thing is to be able to have our hour of discovery taken to a state where it can be applied to human beings," she says.

Ros agrees, as he looks forward to bringing his hospital work across the globe.
"It's great to be able to expand what we have here in Cleveland globally, to bring to other researchers, other teachers, other clinics, who may use this equipment in any place around the world," he says.

The state of Ohio hopes to announce another hub within the next week, says Patt-McDaniel, and it plans to announce all eight hubs by September.

The first hub was announced last September in Dayton: the Ohio Aerospace Hub of Innovation focuses on aerospace, in particular, sensor technologies.