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(TNS) – The Case Western Reserve University Barbara Snyder announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new "Cleveland Blockchain and Digital Futures Hub".
The think tank will not only address blockchain technology, but will also be based on research in other areas, such as the Internet of Things and augmented and virtual reality. The hub will bring together business, academic institutions, government and technology accelerators across the region to develop research and create applications.
CWRU president Barbara Snyder said the think tank is based on a partnership between Cleveland State University on Internet of Things research. The Internet of Things refers to the network of intelligent devices and the way in which data is shared between them.
Snyder announced the hub Tuesday at the Blockland Solutions conference. The president of the CSU, Harlan Sands, president of Snyder and Cuyahoga Community College, Alex Johnson, was among the first to take on the Blockland initiative, which aims to make the Northeast of Ohio a center for the blockchain technology. The three presidents flew to Toronto with Blockland creator Bernie Moreno to visit the Blockchain Research Institute this summer.
The idea for the think tank is in its early stages: it does not have a physical home (it could also be hosted online), has not yet been funded and does not have a central administration to perform day-to-day operations. The group within the Blockland initiative that organizes it has only met three times in person.
Although Snyder said that the CWRU will be the headquarters of the center and that the discussion meetings have been on campus, this does not mean that there will be a space for the university, the organizers have made clear in an afternoon session.
The idea is that by bringing all these organizations together, the think tank can promote an environment of collaboration, not competition. So, for example, a company like Rockwell Automation can bring an idea to the think tank and researchers from one of the universities in the region could work on it.
Universities are already working together to create more offers for those interested in the blockchain. The Blockland initiative has the goal of training 1,000 programmers in the development of blockchain.
"Other blockchain educational initiatives usually involve a single company or a solitary university," Sands said. "On the contrary, Cleveland is ready to take advantage of the entire continuum of interests: the strength of the community college, the public research institute of the city and the regions only the research institute AAU (Association of American Universities) ".
During Tuesday's remarks, Sands said that CSU and Tri-C are working to incorporate blockchain into technology courses, offers College Credit Plus and at MC2STEM High School, which specializes in technology and science. He said that the CSU must understand how the blockchain can influence business and government.
The details were not shared during the announcement. There will be a session at the Blockland Solutions conference at 4:30 pm to discuss the hub.
This story is updated with information from an afternoon session on the hub.
© 2018 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
