NorTech

NorTech Launches Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy Company Directory

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Today NorTech launched a directory of over 350 companies in Northeast Ohio involved in the region’s emerging advanced energy industry cluster. These companies include manufacturers, research and development firms, sales & distribution, installers, testers, energy producers, consultants, engineers & architects, and others. Six sectors within the advanced energy industry represent 75% of the advanced energy companies in Northeast Ohio: Wind Turbines, Fuels Cells, Photovoltaics, Biofuels & Biogas, and Geothermal. Of those 6 sectors, the top 2, Wind Turbines and Fuel Cells, represent 50% of the companies.

We encourage advanced energy companies/organizations to visit the directory and:

* Add your organization’s information to the list, if you are not in the directory already
* Update your information if it is listed incorrectly
* Feel free to use the list as a resource to connect with potential collaborators/partners in the advanced energy cluster

VIEW THE ADVANCED ENERGY COMPANY DIRECTORY

More about the Advanced Energy Cluster
The majority of the companies in the cluster today are engaged in the supply chain for wind turbines. These companies are typically mature manufacturing companies that have applied their skills and leveraged existing assets to manufacture components for wind turbines. The market demand for wind turbines has shown explosive growth in past years and promises continued high growth rates. The progress in the wind turbine supply chain has been accelerated due to the efforts of the Great Lakes Wind Network. The Great Lakes Wind Network is a non-profit economic development group focused on developing the wind turbine supply chain. They develop relationships with wind turbine Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to understand their needs. They help manufacturers understand the OEMs’ requirements and opportunities and connect manufacturers to OEMs.

The second largest sector is fuel cells. Ohio has been making significant and focused investments in the fuel cell industry since 2003. The fuel cell sector includes many leading firms developing advanced fuel cell technology products and components. Like the wind turbine sector, the fuel cell sector also includes other more mature manufacturers participating in the supply chain. Early in the formation of the cluster in Ohio, NorTech, along with other leaders in the region and the state, formed the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition to bring together the players and help to “connect the dots” and drive growth. Since it was created in 2003, the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition has continued to grow, attract new companies, build critical mass and achieve national recognition for the fuel cell industry in Ohio.

These initiatives represent only a sample of the many others throughout the region engaged in various aspects of the advanced energy industry cluster. Again, we encourage people to visit the advanced energy company directory and add their company/organization to the list and be part of Northeast Ohio growing advanced energy cluster.

Posted in Innovation | 4 Comments »

Ohio House of Representatives Alernative Energy Committee To Discuss Initiataives in Northeast Ohio

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

The Ohio House of Representatives Alternative Energy Committee will hold a field hearing on the types and breadth of alternative energy work underway in Northeast Ohio on Friday, July 31, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI). OAI, NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC), NorTech and the Greater Cleveland Partnership assisted the Committee in organizing this hearing. The event is free and open to the public.

The hearing, beginning at 10 a.m., will focus on projects at GRC, OAI, large and small companies, universities, and nonprofit intermediary organizations such as NorTech and the Greater Cleveland Partnership. In addition, interested members of the public are invited to provide public comments.

Officials scheduled to participate as witnesses to the field hearing include:
• Ramon “Ray” Lugo, deputy director, NASA GRC
• Dr. Michael Heil, president and CEO, OAI
• David Karpinski, vice president, NorTech
• Jane Harf, director, University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio
• Peter Reimers, president, Arisdyne Systems
• Mark Fleiner, CEO, Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems US, Inc.

Following the hearing, committee members and witnesses will answer questions from the news media from approximately 12:05 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Companies working in the alternative energy arena will have informational exhibits in the lobby that will be available for viewing beginning at 9 a.m. Scheduled participants to date include Belcan, Contained Energy, GrafTech, Orbital Research, Tremont Electric, Kent State University, Sunpower and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Those interested in exhibiting should contact Roxanne Summers at 440-962-3113.

The Committee, chaired by Representative Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights), plans to hold up to five regional field hearings to learn more about the alternative energy research and commercial activities in Ohio. The July 31 hearing is the first of these field hearings to be held in the state.

Posted in Innovation | 1 Comment »

NorTech Begins Executive Leadership Transition

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Rebecca Bagley named President-Elect as part of succession plan; Bagley will succeed Dorothy Baunach as President and CEO later this year

NorTech, the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition, today began an executive leadership transition with the appointment of Rebecca O. Bagley, a nationally recognized technology-based economic development executive, as President-Elect. Later this year, Bagley will succeed Dorothy C. Baunach, the founding staff director of NorTech, as President and Chief Executive Officer. Baunach will become President Emeritus at that time and will continue to serve as a special adviser to the organization until December 2010.

The moves, approved today by the Board of Directors, are consistent with the organization’s long-term succession plan, which was part of NorTech’s 2008 strategy review process. “After focusing on our portfolio of initiatives and clarifying NorTech’s mission, role and project priorities, we further sought to ensure that our organization will continue to have strong leadership into the future,” said Les C. Vinney, Chairman of NorTech’s Board of Directors.

“We are extremely confident that Rebecca Bagley brings the necessary skills to play a vital role in carrying forward our mission of supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives to help create new technology industries and make the region’s economy more globally competitive. All of Northeast Ohio stands to benefit from her outstanding combination of experience in economic development, investment and government as well as extensive knowledge of technology, research commercialization and industry building.”

Bagley most recently served as Deputy Secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). In that capacity, she oversaw the operations of an office that serves as a catalyst for growth and competitiveness for Pennsylvania companies and universities. She also was responsible for the administration of several major state programs, including the Life Sciences Greenhouse initiative, the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Keystone Innovation Zone program, the Research and Development Tax Credit program, and many other technology-based economic development programs that support research and commercialization activities.

As part of her responsibilities, Bagley managed the $650 million Energy Independence Strategy that was signed into law in 2008, as well as approximately $79 million in appropriations and more than $1.7 billion in investments for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She previously served as Director of Venture Investment for DCED. Before joining DCED, Bagley worked for several investment banks, where her experience included working closely with early stage companies and venture capital firms.

Bagley currently is a member of the Board of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF), an organization of innovation capital leaders in private, public and non-profit organizations that are committed to building local economies by investing in local entrepreneurs. She has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Science Technology Institute (SSTI), a national nonprofit organization that leads, supports and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.

She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder College of Business and Administration.
Baunach was formerly Deputy Director of Cleveland Tomorrow, where she directed the startup of NorTech in 1999 as an outgrowth of the Technology Leadership Council. She has served as President and CEO since NorTech became an independent not-for-profit organization in 2004.

“We thank Dorothy for her outstanding commitment and hard work in both laying the groundwork for NorTech and in building on that strong foundation over the past decade,” said Vinney. “In addition to continuing to serve in an advisory capacity to Rebecca and the Board, Dorothy plans to take on important, strategic and complementary project responsibilities for NorTech and the Greater Cleveland Partnership. We look forward to her continued involvement as a resource to NorTech and the organizations and high tech industries we support.”

During more than two decades as a technology-based economic development professional, Baunach also was the founding president of the Edison BioTechnology Center, a founding member of the Ohio Technology Partnership, and creator and vice president of Enterprise Development, Inc. (now JumpStart, Inc.), Cleveland’s first technology-based incubator facility. She has also served on numerous start-up company and nonprofit organization boards, and several state and national councils, commissions and panels. In addition, she was appointed by the governor to sit on the Industry, Technology and Enterprise Advisory Council and the Midwest Higher Education Commission. In 2008, Baunach received the Richard Shatten leadership award from the Greater Cleveland Partnership and was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

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Archive for July, 2009

NorTech Launches Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy Company Directory

Ohio House of Representatives Alernative Energy Committee To Discuss Initiataives in Northeast Ohio

NorTech Begins Executive Leadership Transition