Two of northeast Ohio’s higher education institutions are partnering ahead of Intel’s planned $20 billion expansion in the state.
Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler and Lorain County Community College President Marcia Ballinger announced a “Partnership Intent Resolution” on Wednesday, May 11.
It is a commitment between the two institutions to focus on aligning their assets to “accelerate research, commercialization and talent development” in semiconductors and microelectronics, by a press release.
Officials said this latest partnership between the two was inspired by news of the tech giant’s plans to establish a semiconductor microchip factory outside of Columbus. As Crain reported last month, college leaders are optimistic about the benefits Intel’s investment could bring to northeast Ohio campuses.
CWRU’s Kaler said campuses have complementary strengths in these areas. There has been a decade of “capacity building” in related semiconductor work at each location for more than 10 years, according to the release.
“From groundbreaking research to innovative approaches to preparing students for opportunities in these fields, our institutions are uniquely positioned to respond to the opportunities that Intel’s presence creates for Ohio,” Kaler said.
LCCC’s Ballinger noted that leaders are ready to create a “comprehensive educational pipeline” from certificate to doctorate. programs, adding that the offerings would meet “the full spectrum of industry needs, from technicians to engineers and advanced researchers.”
“This continuum of talent growth resources positions the region to become the birthplace and training grounds of the new Silicon Heartland,” she said in the release.
