From on-campus research that leads to technology transfer and new business to a steady stream of highly competent graduates, the Greater Akron region can boast a wealth of knowledge assets.

The region is home to The University of Akron and Kent State University, and 13 colleges and universities, including the 158-year-old Hiram College in Portage County, are within commuting distance. Another 32 colleges and universities are within a 50-mile radius, more than any region in the country, with the exception of New York.

One of the biggest challenges Northeast Ohio faces is ensuring a steady flow of well-trained talent, says Dr. Lester A. Lefton, president of 22,000-student Kent State University.

“As a comprehensive, public research university providing more than 280 areas of study at the undergraduate level, at an affordable price, we help meet that problem,” he says. “We continue to make technological discoveries that lead to new patents and licenses, which then stimulate the economy.”

A city with a vibrant economy usually has a high-quality university or two in close proximity, says Dr. Luis M. Proenza, president of the 20,000-student University of Akron.

“We’re not a single-product outfit, like many companies,” Proenza says. “The students themselves, the research we produce, the technology we create, the patents and licenses we issue, all are expressions of our expertise in the commu­nity, and all demonstrate the way that we are involved in economic development in a wide array of ways.”

UA and KSU are heavily involved in on-campus research and development, and continue to work with local and regional economic development officials and businesses to foster growth in a broad sector of industries.

An Innovation Economy
“Companies are increasingly depending on outside sources for more of their technology and innovative ideas,” Proenza says. “Universities are in a very key position to assist compa­nies in the development of new opportunities.”

“There’s no question that technological discoveries lead to economic stimulus,” adds Lefton. “That’s why we continue with programs that grant licenses and also spin off companies in many areas of research.”

Kent State is developing a college of public health that will produce public-health workers in a variety of disciplines, bring in research dollars and become a hub of research.

And at UA, which a century ago was teaching rubber-chemistry classes in support of the city’s four major tire companies, cutting-edge research is still the order of the day. Nowadays, though, rubber’s been supplanted by a diversified polymer industry, and the college has reacted accordingly.

“Polymers are going to have a major impact on medical devices, therapeutic as well as diagnostic, and we’re working on the next generation of those here,” Proenza says. “The university has expanded along the lines of the research, and also has formed the Akron Regional Change Agents, an investor’s group, to work with polymer companies. And this is just one of the myriad ways that we’re working within the community in terms of economic development.”