Ohio Third Frontier is sponsoring six education forums, in partnership with YourEncore, across the state beginning December 4, 2012. The Open Innovation Ohio Forums will educate companies, with annual revenue of $10 million to $1 billion, about Open Innovation and financial incentives available through Ohio Third Frontier.

Open Innovation has been successfully utilized by companies worldwide to generate ideas, bring products to market and advance technologies by tapping into external ideas and expertise.

“Large companies are increasingly relying on Open Innovation to overcome research and development challenges,” said Christiane Schmenk, director of the Ohio Development Services Agency and chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission. “We want to encourage middle-market companies to engage in this same Open Innovation practice to speed product development, reduce costs and create jobs sooner, benefiting Ohio’s technology economy.”

Each forum will be led by renowned open innovation expert, Dr. Gene Slowinski, creator of the Want, Find, Get, Manage model for Open Innovation. Slowinski will provide attendees with market-proven solutions for implementing Open Innovation. Other attendees will include Open Innovation practitioners who will discuss success stories and best practices. Ohio Third Frontier representatives will also be on hand to discuss how companies can access Open Innovation state incentives.

Open Innovation Ohio Forums will be held on the following dates:

Toledo – December 4, 2012
Hilton Garden Inn
6165 Levis Commons Boulevard
Perrysburg, Ohio 43551

Cleveland – December 5, 2012
Marriott Cleveland East
26300 Harvard Road
Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44122

Columbus – January 15, 2013
Marriott Columbus Airport
1375 North Cassady Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43219

Athens – January 16, 2013
Ohio University Inn and Conference Center
331 Richland Avenue
Athens, Ohio 45701

Cincinnati – January 29, 2013
Holiday Inn
4501 Eastgate Boulevard
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

Dayton – January 30, 2013
Holiday Inn
2800 Presidential Drive
Fairborn, Ohio 45324

Middle-market companies can now register for the Open Innovation Ohio Forums and the cost is $119 per person. To learn more or to register, visit: www.openinnovationohio.com.

Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to create new technology-based products, companies, industries, and jobs, has attracted more than $7.3 billion in other investments to Ohio, and has a nearly 9:1 return on investment since its inception. The Ohio Third Frontier has also assisted in the creation and retention of more than 88,000 direct and indirect jobs for Ohioans. For more information, visit ohiothirdfrontier.com. For more information on Ohio’s entrepreneurship activities, visit www.hivelocitymedia.com.

The Ohio Development Services Agency (Development) works with partners across business, government, academia, and the nonprofit sector to build strong communities that support job creation. Development provides financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio, ensuring a vibrant economic future for all Ohioans. Visit www.development.ohio.gov. Also, follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/OhioDevelopment and Twitter www.twitter.com/OhioDevelopment.