Councilmember Mark Jeffreys spoke during StartupCincy Week about Cincinnati’s pioneering “City as a Lab” program, which invites entrepreneurs to use city resources to test out solutions to critical public needs.
He brought up Airtrek Robotics, which used the city’s Lunken Airport to test its innovative tools for clearing airfields of dangerous debris. Additionally, Jeffreys spoke of the city’s desire to partner with local AI companies, additive manufacturers and sewer technology startups to reduce citizens’ costs while boosting local entrepreneurs.
“We’re open for business,” Jeffreys says of the ‘City as a Lab’ initiative, “and we want to partner with startups to basically enable better outcomes for our government and a better quality of life for people here in the city. I think that’s the ultimate goal.”