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OIEx Invited Presenter at International UIIN Conference 2024 in Madrid, Spain 

OIEx team members Tim Cain and Jeff Agnoli joined by Kate Byrne, SVP for Product-Research Workflows of partner Digital Science, were invited presenters at the annual UIIN (University Industry Innovation Network) conference held 27-30 May in Madrid, Spain. 

Drawing over 450 attendees from 41 countries around the globe, the European conference provided an opportunity to showcase the story of OIEx, "A Ten-University Collaborative Supporting Ohio’s Knowledge Economy" to an international audience of peers organizations equally dedicated to advancing university-industry collaborations.

The annual UIIN conference is the largest global event dedicated to university-industry interaction, entrepreneurial and engaged universities and the future of higher education.

Since its inception in 2012, UIIN has cultivated and supported a community of passionate institutions in Europe and around the globe to seek innovative approaches to improving external engagement and social impact.  UIIN offers expertise and resources for skills-development, networking and support for individuals and organizations involved in university-industry collaboration, entrepreneurial universities and technology transfer.

The UIIN team brings together diverse experiences and perspectives across different disciplines and cultural contexts that enable the community to truly understand a broad range of engagement challenges. Whilst the roots and team of UIIN are in Amsterdam, Netherlands, it strives to support institutions across the world.

The OIEx team was honored to have had the opportunity to raise broader awareness of the project efforts, goals and the State's ongoing commitment to the knowledge economy of Ohio and the world.

Upjohn Study Details Strategies to Enhance the Impact of OIEx

The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research (Kalamazoo, MI) released findings of its study examining, “Sustainability Practices, Policies, and Business Models of Web-Based Innovation Platforms” commissioned by the Ohio Department of Higher Education evaluating the OIEx statewide initiative.  

Examining peer efforts across the United States that are similar to OIEx in scope and focus, economist and lead author Iryna Lendel, Senior Director of Regional Economic and Community Development at Upjohn, provides specific recommendations for achieving operational excellence and building broader awareness of this resource-sharing strategy and online knowledge management portal and its supporting ecosystem. 

The report notes that OIEx stands out as one of the pioneering multi-university initiatives in the United States.

In the report, Lendel’s team identifies opportunities to enhance the impact and sustainability of OIEx, with policy recommendations emphasizing the need for OIEx to transition toward a role as a knowledge broker bridging the gaps between the needs of industry and supply of university resources. The report details recommendations for refining marketing, communications, and business strategies of OIEx to achieve the next level of operational excellence.

Conceived as a cross-sector initiative, OIEx is an industry-sought, higher education-driven, and state government-sponsored information solution focused on improving industry access to expertise, research services, and technology resources from a growing coalition of Ohio universities. 

Upjohn Regional provides applied economic research and technical assistance. It addresses issues in regional economies, economic development, workforce/occupational development, evaluation, public policy development, and economic impact modeling and analysis. It is a unit of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

Launch of the All-New Ohio Innovation Exchange Web Experience

From ideation in 2015, through its initial launch in 2018, to a growing coalition of 10 partner universities by 2023, the OIEx portal continues to grow in functionality, searchable assets, and partner schools.  With an eye towards improving the user experience, shining a spotlight on the great work of its partner universities, and enhancing access to a growing collection of networking events, a major redesign of OIEx was launched in February 2024.

FACILITATING COLLABORATIONS …

Tapping a rich collection of information describing available research expertise, state-of-the-art technologies, and research supporting services from a growing collection of Ohio universities, OIEx is ever improving the ways it provides access to experts and resources from a growing coalition of Ohio university partners.

IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE …

• Enjoy a mobile-friendly browsing experience with an intuitive interface.
• Access key information directly from the home page, including campus liaisons, data requirements for partner universities, and the rich history of the OIEx initiative.

 SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION NEWS, EXPERTS, VIDEOS AND MORE…

• Learn about experts actively contributing to Ohio's innovation and economic development.
• Search our growing library of recorded content for valuable insights and discussions.
• Explore diverse initiatives shaping Ohio's research landscape.

EVENTS AND NETWORKING…

• Stay updated on upcoming events and networking opportunities that foster collaboration and idea exchange.
• Utilize our platform to connect with like-minded professionals, expanding your innovation network. 

CAPABLE AND AGILE PARTNERS …

The OIEx team worked with Three-12 Solutions and its web development partner Kosada Inc. to deliver the new web experience.  Three-12 Solutions is a systems integration IT consulting firm based in Dublin, Ohio who has distinguished themselves with the novel data management, curation, and analytical solutions they brought to bear across the lifecycle of OIEx. Kosada, an agile web development firm whose expertise with Drupal--a highly customizable, open-source content management system-- has yielded a portfolio of work with clients including nonprofits, small businesses, and universities.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY …

Visitors are invited to explore the new features of the Ohio Innovation Exchange and actively engage with our community. Partnerships and collaborations play a pivotal role in advancing Ohio’s innovation agenda.  Begin your innovation journey with us and follow us on LinkedIn as Ohio’s history innovation story continues to flourish.

OIEx Garners Ohio Third Frontier Research Incentive Funding  

As the scale, scope, and awareness of OIEx continue to evolve, a proposal submitted by Tim Cain (Ohio University) and Jeff Agnoli (Ohio State University) entitled: "A Roadmap for the Ohio Innovation Exchange towards Operational Excellence, Transformation of Cross Sector Collaborations, and Sharpened Discovery Powered by Artificial Intelligence." secured funding from the Ohio Third Frontier.  The proposal details a roadmap on specific aims towards: [AIM I] achieving operational excellence by optimizing OIEx operations and broadening support to its partner universities; [AIM II] securing OIEx as a premier resource for the primary drivers and conveners of Ohio's knowledge economy and [AIM III] sharpening discovery by harnessing the power of generative artificial intelligence.  Continued stewardship of the Ohio Innovation Exchange is vital as it enables access to needed information, seeds connections across sectors — universities, business, government, and economic development agencies — and creates capacity across the State of Ohio’s ecosystem of knowledge innovation, translation and application in ways that expand workforce opportunities and foster economic prosperity.