Access to R+D Resources

Orthopaedics companies looking to locate and expand their businesses, entrepreneurs seeking fertile ground for R&D innovation and clinical testing or contract manufacturers and suppliers looking to partner with major health systems and orthopaedic companies - can all grow in the Cleveland+ region by taking advantage of our world-class collaborative initiatives, academic and clinical centers in orthopaedics.

Innovative Orthopaedic Research Collaborations


Companies relocating or seeking to expand in Cleveland+ have access to the following four new regional research initiatives in Orthopaedics :

  • The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron : (ABIA) is a unique $80 million+ collaboration of complementary research, education and health institutions dedicated to becoming a global leader in biomaterial and medical research, education, clinical services and commercialization.
    ABIA leverages top polymer science and engineering research into high-value clinical applications aimed at accelerating biomedical innovation in orthopaedics and wound healing. It works with orthopaedics companies and researchers to design, test, synthesize and manufacture new materials and applications of biomaterials.
  • Clinically Applied Rehabilitation Project : (CARE) is a public/private research partnership dedicated to restoring mobility to patients requiring a broad range of rehabilitation intervention, whether because of injury, disease or aging. It uses a “CAREN” rehabilitation system designed by Motek Medical and Bertec Corporation housed at the Cleveland Clinic. The system incorporates a “smart” platform with six degrees of movement that uses software to simulate everything from bomb-blasted terrain to bumps in a sidewalk.
  • Clinical Tissue Engineering Center : (CTEC) is a collaboration between Cleveland+ academic and clinical partners to translate tissue engineering strategies into methods, devices, diagnostic tools and therapeutics. CTEC pairs researchers who are working on new materials and scaffolds, new cell sources, processing methods, new measurement tools and new methods of intervention, with innovative clinicians treating diseases of the cartilage, bones, muscles connective tissue and skin. CTEC then facilitates the transformation of promising therapies, devices and diagnostics into products via spin-off companies, licensees and equity partnerships.
  • The Nitinol Center : is a cooperative effort to develop and commercialize products made from Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy with powerful shape-memory and super-elastic properties. The project supports smart materials usage in the development of ankle-foot orthoses and medical devices such as adaptive pedicle screws for spine repair. Partners include Norman Noble Inc., Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Toledo, and the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Academic and Clinical Centers of Orthopaedics Excellence


Orthopaedic companies looking for access to clinical trials, patent portfolios, research expertise, and state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure can work with Cleveland+ academic and clinical centers of orthopaedic excellence, including: