Ethiopian Review

Cincinnati economic development officials aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry about Dayton’s designation as Ohio’s first Hub of Innovation.

“We don’t know what it means to be a hub,” said Doug Moormann, vice president of government affairs for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. “In other states, where they’ve established hubs, there’s a suite of benefits that accompany that designation. As far as we can tell, the state hasn’t defined what those benefits will be.”

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland made the announcement Sept. 8, committing to work with Dayton-area leaders to “target economic development efforts” toward attracting clusters of aerospace companies to the region. The Ohio Hub program was announced with great fanfare in 2008, with Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher vowing to stage a competitive process to select the first of several Ohio innovation hubs by the end of 2009.

Dayton-area lawmakers jumped the gun on that competitive process by inserting language into the state transportation budget that designates the Dayton area as an Aerospace Innovation Hub.

- by Dan Monk | Business Courier of Cincinnati