CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 26, 2021 – Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) have entered into a collaborative agreement in Ohio that links Greater Cleveland businesses’ needs and interests across WBI’s connections at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Dayton.
The collaboration builds upon the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organizations in May 2020 and will foster relationships and interactions among national, regional, and local corporations, as well as small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits, universities, government, and others.
“We are pleased to enter this partnership with Wright Brothers Institute that provides a new innovation platform, access to opportunities, and strategic relationships to our business community,” said Baiju R. Shah, President and CEO of GCP. “Through this relationship, our goal is to expand our business community’s participation in the development and production of national defense-related technologies.”
Providing access to the innovation needs of AFRL will allow the region’s businesses to grow and expand their workforce and presence in Ohio. WBI also brings a unique benefit to the Greater Cleveland business community, enabling them to network across the broader United States Air Force’s research, development, acquisition, and maintenance of existing and future weapons systems and their components.
Founded in 2002, Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Dayton, Ohio. Chartered in part to foster the world-class technology research and development being conducted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, WBI operates as a catalyst to expedite the transition of technology into new capabilities in support of the mission and operational needs of the United States Air Force (USAF). Through joint activities and collaborative innovation initiatives with external parties and technical expertise, WBI leverages USAF investments in basic research and exploratory and advanced technology demonstrations to support the development of products having high potential for defense and commercial market applications.
“We look forward to advancing our partnership with GCP and engaging the Northeast Ohio business community in this initiative. We will continue to cross-promote our upcoming events, workshops, seminars, and other similar activities,” said Wendell Banks, Executive Director, WBI. “This will include joint events, educational programs on defense technology that support AFRL, and collaborative business outreach with GCP’s Business Growth and Development team.”
Engagement opportunities will be featured on the GCP INGEAR business resource portal at www.gcpingear.com.
“GCP provides our businesses with expertise, advice and access to the resources best suited to support their individual needs,” stated Deb Janik, Senior Vice President, Business Growth and Development. “The partnership with WBI provides yet another unique, innovative resource for Greater Cleveland businesses adding to the regional economic development system’s comprehensive toolkit. We look forward to building our relationship with WBI for the benefit of the entire business community.”
About Greater Cleveland Partnership
Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), with more than 12,000 members, is the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation. Our mission is accelerating growth and prosperity to help develop a thriving region for all businesses and individuals. To learn more, visit www.gcpartnership.com.
About Wright Brothers Institute
Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is a cutting-edge innovation and technology commercialization center for the Air Force Research Laboratory, with facilities located just outside of WPAFB in Dayton, OH. WBI drives fast, agile innovation that enables successful technology development to solve the Air Force’s most complex challenges by leveraging resident experts, unique facilities, disruptive innovation processes, and extensive networks. WBI leverages subject matter experts and intellectual property from AFRL and SBIR companies to unlock the right problem, connect to new partners and synchronize transition pathways through commercialization partners. Learn more at www.wbi-innovates.com.
About Air Force Research Laboratory
Our scientists, researchers and professionals re-imagine what is possible, creating tomorrow’s technology, TODAY. This pursuit of innovation delivers solutions for our warfighter's urgent needs, creating innovative new capabilities for the Air Force. When others say it is impossible, we find a way! AFRL (www.afrl.af.mil) leads the discovery, development, and delivery of warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. We are pushing the boundaries and creating a new tomorrow through unparalleled research.