About:

NorTech is a nonprofit technology-based economic development organization that champions growth in Northeast Ohio’s high tech economy. NorTech marshals resources and forges collaborations to put economic growth on the fast-track by: accelerating technology development and moving innovations from the lab into the marketplace; driving growth in the region’s high tech industries (with a current focus on Advanced Energy and Flexible Electronics); and expanding state and federal funding to support early-stage technology commercialization and industry building.

Fund Support:

$12.4 million

Performance:

Federally sponsored research spending in Northeast Ohio is growing at a rate about double the national average. High-tech employment in Northeast Ohio grew 4% from 2004-2008, compared to a 1% decline for the economy as a whole. For the first time, Northeast Ohio has a coordinated effort to secure federal support for its regional economic competitiveness efforts and NorTech is leading that effort. The state of Ohio is supporting technology-based economic development through the Third Frontier program. Since 2007, Northeast Ohio institutions and companies have received nearly $476 million in Third Frontier investments, and NorTech is playing a lead role in advocating for the renewal of the Third Frontier program.

2011 Update

  • northeast Ohio was selected as a winner in the Obama administration’s $37 million Jobs & Innovation Accelerator Challenge.
  • The region will receive a $2,062,945 million grant for a collaborative program led by NorTech JumpStart, Lorain County Community College & MAGNET to stimulate job creation.
  • NorTech is a recipient of the 2011 SSTI TBED award for its Cluster Development Model
  • Jeffrey Brancato was named Vice President and will manage special projects, oversee operations & manage the government engagement program
  • Co-hosted a roundtable discussion with the General Services Administration & Northeast Ohio business/civic leaders to discuss Obama’s American Jobs Act
  • NorTech Energy Enterprise launched new roadmap effort for NEO fuel cell industry, in partnership with the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition
  • New cluster companies include: Innovative Developments LLC, Sheffield Metals International, ADAP Nanotech & Omnitek
  • Crystal Diagnostics, a NorTech FlexMatters Cluster Company, unveiled its new liquid crystal-based technology that rapidly detects multiple harmful pathogens in food in a single test, offering significant time savings over the most common testing methods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year food-borne pathogens cause an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
  • JobsOhio's Mark Kvamme visited with NorTech and FlexMatter cluster companies to discuss ways to help cluster companies accelerate high-growth potential prototypes and new products into successful market entries.
  • The Clean Energy Student Challenge offers university students an exciting opportunity to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy's national competition for student-generated business ideas that have the potential to bring new clean energy technology to the marketplace. The program offers a great opportunity for students to gain a firsthand look at the entrepreneurial process. NorTech is the anchor organization for Ohio and working with universities across the state to engage students in the program.
  • Jeffrey M. Brancato has joined NorTech as a vice president. He will manage multiple internal and external special projects, overseeing operations and managing the government engagement program. In this role, he builds and maintains relationships with key business leaders in the community.
  • Northeast Ohio is one of 20 regions in the country selected as a winner in the Obama administration's $37 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, a multi-agency competition to support the advancement of high-growth industry clusters across the country. The region will receive a $2,062,945 million grant for a collaborative program led by JumpStart, Lorain County Community College, MAGNET, and NorTech, which will stimulate job creation. This program, the Northeast Ohio Speed-To-Market Accelerator (STMA), is designed to accelerate the speed-to-market for near-production or pilot-production prototypes in the advanced energy and flexible electronics industry clusters in Northeast Ohio.
  • NorTech's advanced energy roadmap was highlighted as part of a national NPR Changing Gears story about advanced batteries. NorTech estimates $49 million has been invested in the advanced energy. Read the story here.
  • The Burton D. Morgan Foundation awarded NorTech a $1,000 grant to support the 2011 Advanced Energy B2B Conference and Expo.  
  • NorTech hosted the Advanced Energy B2B Conference & Expo Sept 14-15 in Akron. The conference and expo provide a venue to showcase Northeast Ohio's assets in advacned energy and explore commercial opportunities to stimulate the growth of industry in the region. The second day of the conference focused on the the creation of a statewide organization - the Advanced Energy Economy Ohio - to assist Governor Kasich in developing the state's advanced energy policy.
  • Advanced Energy cluster companies Quasar Energy, Vadxx Energy and Polyflow were featured in a Plain Dealer story about making fuel from waste on August 20, 2011.
  • NorTech will explore commercial opportunities in the region's advanced energy sector at its Advanced Energy B2B Conference & Expo on Sept. 14 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. 
  • The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded NorTech a $300,000 grant for its efforts to boost the region's participation in the advanced energy industry. NorTech will use the funds to develop a regional strategy around four specific advanced sectors: energy storage, smart grid, transportation electrification and biomass/waste-to-energy.
  • Received a $750,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation to support innovation in manufacturing sectors.
  • NorTech's president and CEO Rebecca O. Bagley's Forbes.com blog raises the question "Does Our Future Include Manufacturing?" She believes manufacturing is vital to Northeast Ohio's economy and critical for the region's future success. 
  • NorTech has identified Northeast Ohio's opportunities in the advanced energy sector through its road mapping process. The region could create more than 2,000 jobs by 2018 if advanced energy storage companies and organizations work together. 
  • Partnered the with National Academies to host the “Building the Ohio Innovation Economy” seminar on April 25 -25, which drew a national audience of more than 200 people.
  • Identified 50 companies as potential commercialization partners for FlexMatters cluster members and 25 flexible electronics applications.
  • NorTech President & CEO Rebecca O. Bagley was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Innovation Advisory Board which will guide a study of U.S. economic competitiveness and innovation to help inform national policies at the heart of U.S. job creation, competitiveness and global strength. The 15-member board will advise the Secretary of Commerce in coordination with the National Economic Council and other federal agencies for the development of the study – focused on America’s innovative capacity and global economic competitiveness. 
  • NorTech and Crain's Cleveland Business honored Northeast Ohio's most innovative organizations and leaders at its annual Innovation Awards program. Nine winners received awards, representing innovations from a broad range of technology industries including advanced energy; advanced materials; biosciences; flexible electronics; and instrumentation, controls and electronics. Read more about the winners here.
  • NorTech's Board of Directors elected Timothy M. Reynolds to serve as the organization's new chairman. Reynolds is the owner and president of Tribute Inc., a software company. He succeeds Les Vinney, who has been chairman since 2005.
  • On February 22, NorTech and JumpStart co-hosted the White House Winning the Future Small Business Forum with President Obama and 5 cabinet officials. The Forum provided an opportunity for over 200 Northeast Ohio small businesses and the White House to have a dialogue on a variety of business issues including clean energy, exports, access to capital, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. 
  • Northeast Ohio's flexible electronics cluster experienced significant growth in 2010 by attracting $14 million in capital from public and private sources. The FlexMatters (SM) cluster is focused on low-cost manufacturing of electronic devices printed on flexible plastic materials. Read more about the growing cluster and members that received funding.