Image courtesy of Case Western Reserve University
Q&A: CWRU’s 11000 Cedar Incubator Drives Life Sciences Innovation
October 11, 2024
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) spent the last 18 months investing in 11000 Cedar, a startup incubator for biotech and the life sciences – one of just a few Cleveland-area incubators open to all startups. 11000 Cedar includes about 30,000 square feet of wet lab space, as well as dry labs, private and shared offices, and access to CWRU’s core research facilities.
Incubators like this are critical to developing and nurturing life sciences companies in their early stages, and I was happy to sit down recently with Steve Fening, CWRU’s associate vice president for research, to hear more about the facility and how it is helping advance research in Northeast Ohio – which will ultimately benefit patients both in Ohio and around the world.
Questions
This partnership began about a year and a half ago, taking over the former BioEnterprise Corp. nonprofit incubator. Can you tell me about the goals the team had for this space and how those have played out over the last year?
Our primary goal for 11000 Cedar was to create a supportive environment for early-stage technology-based companies in the Cleveland region. Over many months, Michael Oakes (senior vice president for research and technology management), Andy Cornwell (director of 11000 Cedar Incubator), and I visited incubator facilities across the country to learn best practices and identify what was needed for Cleveland’s ecosystem. LabCentral in Boston and Bakar Labs at Cal Berkely were two models that we were most excited to follow.
We aim to provide scalable and shared facilities, such as individually rentable lab benches in a shared laboratory, which has allowed us to support more companies — from 12 to about 25 with room for further growth. Over the past year, we’ve focused on building a strong community among our tenants, and it’s exciting to see this community take shape and thrive.
This is one of just a few incubators in northeast Ohio open to entities outside the core partnership group. Why was that important?
The 11000 Cedar Incubator is consistent with President Eric Kaler’s vision to grow the impact of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, across Ohio and beyond. While other incubators like Cleveland Clinic’s Global Cardiovascular Innovations Center (GCIC) and Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron also support outside entities, our goal was to strengthen regional partnerships and make this a valuable resource for the entire Cleveland area. This inclusivity helps drive innovation and economic growth across the region.
The Cleveland Innovation District, with support from JobsOhio, is anchored by University Hospitals, Cleveland State, MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic and of course Case Western Reserve University. Can you talk more about the role Case has in driving activity in the district and how you collaborate with those other key partners?
Case Western Reserve University plays a pivotal role in the Cleveland Innovation District by driving health-focused research that leads to economic growth. Under the leadership of Michael Oakes, our research expenditures have grown significantly, from about $400 million to $550 million per year. We collaborate closely with other anchor institutions to leverage our collective assets and relationships, converting research into job creation and economic benefits for the region.
Without divulging any trade secrets, of course, what can you share about the type of research underway at 11000 Cedar now?
The majority of our incubator companies are focused on novel health-related technologies, including new pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. We’ve recently opened the facility to areas outside of health, and are starting to see new companies from the energy storage and sustainable manufacturing areas.
11000 also is the current home for CWRU’s Human Fusions Institute (HFI), an incredibly exciting interdisciplinary team that is working on restoring a sense of touch for people wearing prosthetics. What are the plans for HFI going forward?
CWRU is just breaking ground on a new 189,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) right in the middle of campus. That building will be uniquely organized around research clusters, which bring multiple disciplines together to address key societal problems.
We are so proud of our HFI, which is a model of interdisciplinary collaboration at Case Western Reserve University. HFI has a temporary home in 11000 Cedar to execute and learn from the cluster model. When the ISEB building opens in the fall of 2026, HFI will move there, and the space will convert to dry lab space as part of the incubator. We are expecting the commercial activities of HFI to continue in the incubator.
Where do you see the life sciences and biotech industry going in northeast Ohio, and in Ohio in general, over the next year? The next five years?
I’m very optimistic about the future of life sciences and biotech in northeast Ohio. Over the next year, we anticipate continued advancements in health-related technologies, particularly in medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Looking ahead to the next five years, we expect significant growth driven by increased collaboration between academic institutions and industry, the establishment of new research facilities, and the rise of startup companies. This growth will likely lead to more job creation and solidify northeast Ohio as a hub for life sciences and biotech innovation.
I hope you enjoyed these highlights from my conversation with Steve. I want to thank Steve for his time and insights, and also express my gratitude to the entire leadership at Case Western Reserve University, and JobsOhio for their unwavering commitment to advancing the life sciences in northeast Ohio and beyond.
Sincerely,
Eddie Pauline
President & CEO
Ohio Life Sciences