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.

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