Nearly 500 Attend Opening of COSI’s Newest Exhibit Dedicated to Innovation in the Region

COSI’s grand opening of its latest exhibit, Innovation Showcase, was a celebration of just how far Central Ohio has come in its journey to becoming Forbes’ #1 Up and Coming Tech City.  Close to 500 business leaders, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs gathered to celebrate the region’s success and progress at what could only be described as a high-tech launch party Wednesday evening.  

During opening remarks, TechColumbus President Ted Ford commented that five years ago such a celebration would not have been possible.  He noted that although five years ago (like today) the region was one of the nation’s largest employers of IT talent and the city was home to one of the nation’s top research universities, located across the street from the world’s largest private R&D organization, and that the region was annually attracting 100,000 students along with world-class faculty and researchers to the 18 colleges and universities in the region, there was one key element holding the region back.  That, says Ford, was the leveraging of all these attributes to create a high-tech, high growth economy.  “Instead of lamenting the problem, we’ve come together to take advantage of these opportunities.”  

The results of these efforts were clearly on display Wednesday night.  Along, with those innovations chosen for semi-permanent exhibit in COSI’s Innovation Showcase, 25 additional emerging high growth ventures were highlighted.  These represented innovation in areas spanning nanotechnology, advanced materials, alternative fuels, industrial safety, consumer and business Internet services and much more.  

“Despite a tough economy, its’ still a good time to start a company in  Central Ohio thanks to the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier initiative and the support of many local companies and institutions,” says Ford.  “As we emerge from the current downturn, Central Ohio is positioning itself to ramp up quickly and enjoy the gains that will inevitably come to those regions that are prepared.”  

The Innovation Showcase at COSI is now open to the public.  It features a number of people, projects and innovations that are happening right here in Central Ohio.  The exhibit will be updated on a regular basis with new featured companies and projects to provide a current and dynamic representation of the advances that are originating in Central Ohio and spreading across the globe.   

For details visit www.cosi.org