Alternative Energy Features

Ohio's aerospace industry is one of the strongest in the country, yet its continued prominence is by no means assured. In the past few years, fierce global competition, rapid industry change and a fragmented business sector were real threats to our ongoing success. Yet now, the newly-created Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Council is offering a unified voice for the industry and creating a platform for continued growth.

Open innovation partnerships between universities and companies can spark new ideas and possibly inventions, says Dr. Luis Proenza of the University of Akron. Recently, hiVelocity spoke with Dr. Proenza about key changes in U.S. patent law, the role of universities in Ohio's entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the catalytic potential of university partnerships.

In late February, Dean Monske was named president and CEO of the Regional Growth Partnership, the Toledo-based nonprofit development corporation that serves northwest Ohio. Since then, Monske -- a former RGP vice president who left for a year to serve as Toledo Mayor Mike Bell's deputy mayor for external relations -- has hit the ground running. Last month, the RGP announced two new field offices in, of all places, China.