Buzz

Ohio declares STEM education, entrepreneurship economic cornerstones

Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative Thursday, April 18, 2013

Johnathan M. Holifield, NorTech’s Vice President of Inclusive Competitiveness affirmed, “This potential game-changer for Ohio is an economic competitiveness imperative. Ohio must cultivate a larger, more diverse and inclusive STEM pipeline to produce more job-creating entrepreneurs. This program will accelerate those efforts.”

Read the full story here.

Cincinnati ranks among '10 most unexpected cities for high tech innovation'

Techie.com Thursday, April 11, 2013

Today's emerging high-tech hubs are not where you think they are, according to techie.com, a destination site for disruptive technology and emerging trends. The online publication today released its "Ten Most Unexpected Cities for High Tech Innovation" list, highlighting ten unexpected locales that are expected to replace Silicon Valley.

"Silicon Valley has rendered itself obsolete," says techie.com editor-in-chief Dan Blacharski. "With the emergence of cheap, reliable, and available cloud-based infrastructure and services, the tech industry is moving towards the industrial Midwest."

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Akron fund awards money to startups, including company that moved from Finland

Akron Beacon Journal Thursday, April 11, 2013

About two years ago, a tiny Finnish startup landed in Akron, hoping to tap the U.S. market.

Now, the wireless technology venture 7signal has eight employees, a growing customer base and recently received money from the new Akron BioInvestment Funds, designed to boost the city’s tech industry.

Read the full story here.

Ohio State wins sustainability championship

The Lantern Thursday, April 11, 2013

While the Ohio State men’s basketball team was competing in the NCAA Tournament, other members of the university community were working toward a different championship title.

OSU was crowned the winner of the second annual Environmental March Madness Tournament early Tuesday, defeating other schools in the “Sustainable 16” after filing out initial surveys.

The tournament pitted universities against one another based on each college’s environmental curriculum and sustainability efforts and was organized by Enviance, an environmental software company.

As the 2013 national champion, OSU will be awarded a $5,000 grant for its Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (EEDS) program. Its director will also get an all-expense paid trip to San Diego to attend the 2013 Enviance User Conference and be a part of a discussion panel in April.

Read the full story here.

Ohio ranked second in auto parts jobs

Dayton Daily News Thursday, April 11, 2013

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing is the largest source of manufacturing jobs in the United States, according to a study released Monday by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association.

The industry directly employs more than 734,000 American workers and generates nearly $355 billion toward the gross domestic product, 2.3 percent of total U.S. GDP, the report said. The study was conducted with IHS Inc., a provider of analytics.

In Ohio, 89,423 workers are employed in making auto parts, making the state second to only Michigan, which has 102,624 workers directly employed in the industry, according to the association. Indiana was third with nearly 80,000 workers.

“With a presence in all 50 states, this industry is important to the health and success of American manufacturing and to the future of this country,” Bob McKenna, the association’s president and chief executive, said in a press release on the study.

In the Dayton area, companies like DMAX in Moraine, Tenneco in Kettering, Behr Thermal Products in Dayton, Ahresty in Wilmington and many others work for the auto industry, supplying General Motors nationwide or Honda in Ohio, among other original equipment manufacturers.

Read the story here.

Ohio State startups expected to double this year

WOSU 89.7 NPR News Thursday, March 28, 2013

Some of us may have thought about an invention that could help make life a little easier. But without the resources or connections to make it happen, the bright idea goes dark and it’s left for someone else to create.

At Ohio State University, the Technology and Commercialization Office helps students and faculty turn their idea into reality. This year, the TCO expects to double the number of start-up businesses fostered by the office. WOSU’s reports on a couple of OSU innovators whose ideas are well on their way to success.

Read the full story here.

Ohio science, tech groups target youth innovation

Canton Repository Thursday, March 28, 2013

A new scholarship program is being launched to encourage Ohio students to become high-tech inventors and entrepreneurs.

Believe in Ohio will be a youth commercialization and entrepreneurship program offering incentives for achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Read the full story here.

DecisionDesk nets $1.7m to help colleges and companies pick the best people

VentureBeat Thursday, March 28, 2013

Ever had to collect thousands of applications and whittle them down to find the best hundred candidates? Universities and businesses do it all the time, and it’s not an easy task.

New York and Cleveland-based DecisionDesk wants to change that. The company takes the application and selection process into the cloud, promising to make the lives of administrators a lot less stressful. And it just raised $1.75 million in new funding to keep innovating.

Read the full story here.

3-D printing institute awards $4.5m to six projects

Crain's Cleveland Business Thursday, March 28, 2013

The new 3-D printing institute in Youngstown has awarded $4.5 million to six research projects designed to help turn the process into a more mainstream manufacturing technique.

The research teams will be adding $5 million of their own money to fund the projects, according to a news release from the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which was created with a $30 million federal grant awarded in August.

Three of the six teams will include local researchers, according to the release from NAMII, which was mentioned by President Barack Obama during his State of the Union speech in February.

Read the full story here.

Clay Marsh to lead new innovation studio at Ohio State

Ohio State University College of Medicine Thursday, March 21, 2013

Through the convergence of technology development and design thinking, the IDEA Studio will focus on identifying important gaps or critical problems needing addressed and create technologies and solutions to solve these vexing problems.

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Third Sun Solar featured in Solar Builder Magazine

Solar Builder Magazine Thursday, March 21, 2013

In 1804, Ohio University became the first university established in Ohio. The ninth oldest public university in the United States, OU set up camp in Athens, Ohio, and the 20,000 students who call it home each year swell the population of the city only to leave once summer arrives.

But not Geoff and Michelle Greenfield. After completing their master’s degrees at OU, the couple decided to make Athens their home. They installed some solar systems on their off-the-grid home in 1997, and the community took notice. People started inquiring about how they did it and if they would help on new projects. What started out as a hobby job grew organically into a small solar business for the Greenfields.

Read the full story here.

How SXSW enhanced Lisnr

Cincinnati.com Thursday, March 21, 2013

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Innovation Engine Accelerator seeks applicants for 2013 digital media program

Ohio University Thursday, March 21, 2013

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Ernst & Young accepting nominations for 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year awards

Ernst & Young Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards recognize the men and women who put everything on the line in order to translate an idea into a viable, sustainable enterprise. A nominee can be the founder, president or chief executive officer of a private or public company who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company and an active member of top management. A nominee can't be a past Winner within the same company but can participate again as the leader of a new company - the recognition goes to the person, not the company. Finally, the nominee's company must be at least three years old.

The deadline for South Central Ohio is March 8th. Click here for more information and to nominate someone.

Number of new businesses filing with state hits record

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, February 28, 2013

A record number of companies and organizations filed to do business in the state of Ohio last year, Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office said.

In all, 88,068 new entities filed to do business last year.

Click here to read the full story.

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