Creating Clusters in North East Ohio

Submitted by ramadesikangr on Sat, 11/19/2005 - 17:47.

Creating Clusters in North East Ohio (NEO)

I am involved in "Planning to create clustes" around various strenghts of NEO, I require inputs on creating a cluster, since tll now all successful clusters have been a spontaneous creation involving capital, people and ideas. Nobody knows the right mixture to create the combustion. I will appreciate inputs

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Some ideas for new "clusters"

Usually when I hear the term cluster it is applied to something huge, like biotech or polymers, which are centered around some existing regional enterprise or university strength. But couldn't a cluster be much smaller? Some examples:

  • FUTURE: Center for Design and Technology Transfer: this is a new center at the Cleveland Institute of Art that includes masters studies, professional partnership, incubator and gallery focused on design - we can be world leaders with that.
  • Urban Design: between Kent and CSU we have excellent urban design and planning talent - there are movements here and elsewhere for "Form based planning" and "New Urbanism". If we can become world leaders with this, we will be sought world-wide, and we will design a better world for people here.
  • FOSS: Free Open Source Software: Portland is becoming a world-leader attracting and developing talent in FOSS development - why shouldn't NEO pursue cluster strength in this growing interest.
  • Social Computing: REALNEO is designed to help make NEO world leaders in this, using FOSS - we should all work together on this.

I'll observe the value of building cluster strength in fields that benefit the community as well - better design, planning, communications - not only does this create jobs and wealth but it improves quality of life. Now, to add "combustion". I'm intereswted in your thoughts on that!