Technology

With a large tech workforce spanning industries such as health care, defense, finance and retail, Ohio is growing in prominence as a digital hub, with IT operations that include consulting startups and services, sources of capital and Fortune 500 corporations.

Key facts

• More than 298,000 people in Ohio are employed by tech establishments or in tech occupations across all industries. Leading occupations are application software developers and computer systems analysts.
• The state is home to an estimated 15,686 tech business establishments.
• The tech sector adds more than $12.5 billion, or about 4.5 percent, to the Ohio economy.
• More than 30 incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurial services providers make up Ohio's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• In 2016, 53 venture capital funds, corporate VCs, and angel groups located in Ohio invested in startups across the state.

National position

• Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus rank among the top 15 U.S. cities for tech job growth.
• Ohio is one of only four states to provide both property tax exemption and data center tax incentives.
• Ohio has low hazard risk ratings from natural, human-made and technological disasters.

Major players:

• Ohio is a cloud computing and data analytics hub for companies such as Alliance Data, Amazon, Hyland, IBM, Kroger and Tata.
• OARNet (Ohio Academic Research Network) and the Ohio Supercomputer Center offer high-speed innovation and assistance for solving a wide range of information challenges.
• 100-GBPS network connects universities, research institutions and companies engaged in research.
• Ohio has 5,800 IT grads annually.
• 24 Ohio institutions offer programs in data analytics, 45 Universities and Colleges in Ohio offer some form of cyber security education or certification.

Top Employers

• Alliance Data Systems - 3,800
• RELX PLC/LexisNexis - 3,000

Recent trends

• Ohio is gaining a strong foothold in new frontiers in IT, with research, academic and business resources focused on areas such as virtual and augmented reality, the Internet of things, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
• Facebook's choice of Ohio for a $750 million data center has increased national recognition on the state's large and growing tech workforce.
• The biggest drivers of Ohio's tech job growth are in the categories of R&D and testing labs, Internet services, computer systems design and IT services.

 

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