Governor Ted Strickland and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher recently unveiled the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) Strategic Plan for Economic Development.  This bold, new plan seeks to redesign the state’s business climate and increase the global competitiveness of Ohio’s employers. The Strategic Plan builds upon Ohio’s legacy for opportunity, innovation, and excellence by seeking to increase income, create and retain jobs, and expand productivity through innovation. The Strategic Plan will support existing Ohio companies and accelerate their ability to innovate to become more competitive. The Plan also will appeal to companies considering establishing operations in Ohio due to its multi-faceted and tangible support of productivity and innovation.

Based on extensive meetings and interviews with thousands of key business and technology leaders around the state, the Strategic Plan is aiming to lead change, build collaborative relationships in all sectors, make wise investments, innovate, and push for implementation of a new business climate.

There are five goals within the Strategic Plan:

Share the Ohio story – by exciting the world about investing in Ohio, visiting the state, and attracting business to the state.
Strengthen our strengths – by targeting industries for development, investing in technological innovation and commercialization, and growing/supporting minority- and women-owned small businesses.
Cultivate top talent – by retaining and attracting the best workforce and talent in the world, providing training, and creating the demand for qualified workers.
Invest in our regional assets – by invigorating our cities and regions as centers of commerce, revitalizing our physical assets and supporting and catalyzing regional collaboration.
Focus on our customers – by operating government at the speed of business and creating a more customer-focused government that is more transparent and accountable.

The Strategic Plan works hand-in-hand with Ohio's achievements of the past year including the June 12, 2008, enactment of a $1.57 billion economic stimulus package, the realignment of our workforce delivery system, and Ohio's new advanced energy plan.

State programs such as the Third Frontier and the new Job Stimulus Program align well with this strategic plan because they are in place to support innovative technology developments. Companies and innovators working with such organizations as PolymerOhio, the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC), and the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND) are well positioned to take advantage of Ohio’s strong commitment to creating a dynamic state for technology-based business.
 
ODOD Strategic Plan Summary - http://www.development.ohio.gov/strategicplan/documents/Executive_Summary.pdf
Polymer Ohio - http://polymerohio.org
OBIC - http://bioproducts.osu.edu
CMPND - http://cmpnd.org