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Cincinnati Rolls Out "100-Day" Plan
The Greater Cincinnati Regional Technology Initiative has released revving up the tech engine, a strategic plan with more than 30 recommendations to improve Cincinnati's position in a tech-based economy. Giving themselves just 100 days to complete the plan when they started in Spring, the project was developed through six "Accelerator Teams" involving more than 200 volunteers from the three-state metro area. The teams looked at: start-up capital and resources; research and commercialization; workforce development; e-commerce readiness; Greater Cincinnati’s image as a high-tech player; and public policy.
The Accelerator Teams also drew on a regional "Angel Board" made up of seasoned community business leaders for resources and guidance.
Major recommendations include:
- Establish the Cincinnati USA Capital Growth Fund to provide seed and early-stage equity funds
- Increase the region’s cutting-edge research base and rate of commercialization of university inventions
- Establish the Cincinnati USA Entrepreneur Resource Network, an open-sourced Web-based entrepreneurial support network
- Establish the Cincinnati USA K-12 Education Assistance Collaborative to ensure quality, market-driven technology instruction in schools
- Establish the Regional Technology Workforce Center to coordinate and integrate efforts to upgrade existing and build new technology workforce
- Establish Cyber Savvy Cincinnati USA, a two-pronged Web-based approach to digitize and integrate government functions and create a small business technology assistance program
- Establish a communications effort with a clear technology identity for the region that differentiates it from other areas of the country and create high-impact marketing tools to communicate the message globally
- Establish the Cincinnati USA Technology Caucus, a bipartisan forum consisting of local, state and federal elected officials that will drive the region’s public policy and advocacy initiatives
A new Technology Growth Accelerator is being established to implement the plan; a 15-member Leadership Council chaired by Cincinnati Bell will guide the process. The Accelerator will have a staff of five people when fully operational. Seed funding of $1.4 million has been provided by state, local and private sources.
To download revving up the tech engine and to learn more information on the initiative, visit http://www.cincytechusa.com