A world of data in our backyard

April 16, 2012

According to the 2011 IDC Digital Universe Study the world’s collected information is doubling every two years. The on-demand, information technology, knowledge economy lives and breathes right here in the Columbus Region. A visit to Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) last week validated that and reminded me once again of the important role the Columbus Region plays in the information economy. If you are a chemist, anywhere in the world, and need to search for information related to molecular data and the patents that surround it, then you turn to CAS and the search products they provide.   Powered by AEP’s electricity and brainpower supplied by The Ohio State University (just minutes away), CAS has transformed into a digital giant and a linchpin for global data management and research.

Travel ten minutes in any direction and you will find Battelle, the largest private research organization in the world, The Ohio State University, our nation’s most comprehensive university, and OCLC, or the Online Computer Library Center, the worldwide library system. Columbus businesses such as Manta and Information Control Corporation are organizing this data in meaningful ways for other enterprises, and creating jobs in our region along the way. Just an hour away in Dayton Teradata and Lexis Nexis are working on similarly important issues to aid in the management and storage of information. Add the huge alumni network of graduates from our 50+ college and university campuses in our region and you can begin to see that our region impacts the science and technology community in nearly every corner of the planet.

One Columbus Update
The One Columbus Board of Directors met this past week to discuss the strategy and emerging trends impacting our region’s economy. Growth in the energy, agribusiness, and manufacturing sectors were discussed. Our team and local economic development allies were fortunate to hear from KPMG regarding their recent Competitive Alternatives study – ranking Ohio’s cities as some of the best business locations in the world. Work continues this week with travel to Texas, New York and Boston to meet with businesses and location advisors considering our region.

-Kenny McDonald