Cleveland District exceeding expectations, has heavy medical and health care impact
By Terry Troy
By all measures, the Cleveland Innovation District (CID) has been a success, exceeding many of the targets set by the Ohio Department of Development and JobsOhio. But its impact on the Northeast Ohio region’s health care industry has been especially profound.
Since its founding in 2021, the private/public partnership has created more than 2,600 jobs, started construction on two new research facilities, built dedicated research space of more than 550,000 square feet and awarded more than 7,300 degrees and certificates. Nearly $1.2 billion has been spent on research and innovation projects so far.
And the CID is just starting to make off.
Through its academic partners, which include Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University, along with health care providers Cleveland Clinic, The MetroHealth System and University Hospitals, the CID hopes to work with the Ohio Department of Development and JobsOhio to contribute $3 billion to Northeast Ohio’s regional economy by 2030—a goal made possible by the generation of 20,000 direct and indirect jobs resulting from increased investment in research and product introduction.
“The Cleveland Innovation District’s progress over the last three years has been remarkable,” says Governor Mike DeWine. “Ohio is a world leader in innovative health care and research, and I’m confident we’ll continue to see life-changing medical advancements from the talented teams that are part of the Cleveland Innovation District.”
“It has been an immense privilege to witness the remarkable synergy among our anchor partners,” adds Dr. Cliff A. Megerian, current chair of the CID and CEO of University Hospitals. “Together, we have coalesced into a dynamic force, achieving significant milestones since the launch in 2021. The progress we’ve made underscores our collective commitment to elevating the region.”
The Cleveland Clinic recently started construction of two new research facilities, totaling 300,000 square feet on Cedar Avenue, which will become the home of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research. The Clinic also opened new research facilities on its main campus that are homes of laboratory and computational space for its Center for Computational Life Sciences, Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-oncology and Center for Therapeutics Discovery. A new biosafety level 3 laboratory for sophisticated pathogen research has also been commissioned as well as other projects.
The Clinic has also formed research partnerships with IBM and Canon. On its main campus, together with IBM, the Clinic opened the first quantum computer dedicated to health care.
All told, the Clinic has created almost 2,000 new jobs related to the CID since 2021.
University Hospitals has attained $197 million in annual research funding and signed a 10-year agreement with Oxford University to launch the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre Therapeutic Accelerator to help find cures for rare diseases. UH has also managed more than 3,400 active clinical trials and research studies, with a 20% increase in patient enrollment year over year. For example, there is a multi-institutional effort that includes The MetroHealth System, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals to identify underserved populations within Northeast Ohio and leverage hypertension data to serve its surrounding communities with the right resources and preventative care.
And that is just the beginning.