Ohio Gov. John Kasich says the state can do more with data to improve healthcare and adapt to a changing economy. Kasich highlighted his new budget proposal’s technology plans in an event at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland today.
Kasich’s budget creates a new position: chief innovation officer, who will try to connect Ohio’s education sector with new technologies. That person will lead the new Ohio Institute of Technology, which is budgeted at $750,000 a year.
The governor also wants to outfit part of I-90 in Cleveland with fiber optic cables and sensors to monitor traffic and prepare for autonomous vehicles. That’s in addition to a $45 million commitment from the state and other sources for the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty.
Kasich says the state should embrace emerging industries. And for those who fear that one day a robot will be doing their job, the governor says:
“People have to understand that with technology can come jobs that are connected to technology where you can actually make more money and have a more secure job. I mean, we’re in a transition now, and I think part of the challenge and part of the problem is we have not been aggressive enough in being able to retrain people.”
Kasich spoke at think[box] on Case Western’s campus. It’s what’s known as a “maker space,” where students and others can use such tools as 3-D printers and laser cutters to make new products.
