Place Marketing

Pledging a more seamless approach to economic development across Ohio, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher unveiled what may be the first state strategic economic development plan in the country.

Titled “Ohio, Home of Innovations & Opportunity,” the plan describes 33 new efforts designed to create jobs, improve productivity through innovation and grow the income of all Ohioans. Describing it as an effort at “transformational” economic growth, Mr. Fisher said the strategy also includes benchmarks for measuring the administration’s success in meeting those goals.

Mr. Fisher expanded on the program’s goals before an audience of business executives, economic development professionals, media and students at a morning forum at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs.

“Every one of our goals is ambitious but doable,” Mr. Fisher told Crain’s Cleveland Business after the rollout. “Any state that is not ambitious is not going to succeed.”

He conceded, however, that the full plan won’t be implemented overnight, especially as the state grapples with a shrinking budget.

“Given the tight budget, we will not have the resources that will allow us to move every initiative along at the same rate of speed,” the lieutenant governor said. “But we will be able to launch most soon.”

The two programs Mr. Fisher said have his highest priority are called Ohio Means Home and Ohio Hubs of Innovation and Opportunity.

Ohio Means Home is a marketing and recruitment program that will try to woo former Ohioans back to the state. Ohio Hubs of Innovation and Opportunity will focus on specific industries in different regions of the state.

Edward W. Hill, interim dean of the Levin College, whose teaching specialty is economic development, called the plan, “the first time any (state) department of development in the country is being held accountable for something outside of deal flow.”

The strategy, Dr. Hill said, “is comprehensive, but at the same time it’s practical; it gives a framework for a department of 800 people and a common theme for the first time.”

Dr. Hill, who helped the state assemble the plan in its final form — he described his role as “a midwife” — is particularly impressed with a program called Build IT, which would create a common information technology system connecting all economic development organizations in the state.