Ohio's 17th congressional district and Pennsylvania's 4th district are neighbors straddling the state border. And the U.S. Representatives from those districts share a common goal -- to reinvigorate their crippled economies by reinventing the Pittsburgh to Cleveland corridor as a collaborative region that would be attractive to high tech industries.
Congressmen Tim Ryan of Niles and Pennsylvania's Jason Altmire say this so-called "tech-belt" could become as successful as North Carolina's Research Triangle; where three cities in the center of the state joined to follow a unified economic strategy.
The pair told a City Club audience that rivalries aside... Pittsburgh and Cleveland already are working together to form alliances and partnerships in the health and sciences fields.
Congressman Altmire.
Rep. Jason Altimire (D) Pennsylvania
"From wound management, to clinical trials, to polymers, more and more collaborations are emerging in the tech belt; and these collaborations yield faster company growth, more innovation, greater venture capital interest, and ultimately more jobs... which is a win win scenario for both Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and everywhere in between.
Backers of this inter-state, regional development say support for the idea from civic and educational institutions in both cities is growing, and they are starting to obtain federal grants to spur more joint development in the biomedical area
The recession, they say, is providing even more incentive for cities to join forces because few cities can get where they need to go alone.
Rick Jackson
