EIO founded the Casting Development Center or CDC to perform research, development and demonstrations of melt and materials technologies. The CDC occupies office space and high bay manufacturing area located within the “Enterprise Center at Glenville”, a huge industrial complex located in an economically distressed (Enterprise Zone) area of Cleveland, Ohio.
This full scale technology demonstration site, or incubator, has been found to be needed for successfully competing on and performing R&D projects. Presently, the CDC is being used to demonstrate and incubate a member of new technologies readying them for spin-off and commercialization. EIO works closely with Kent State University, ranked third nationally by the Foundry Education Foundation of (FEF), has found the CDC is a place where engineering students and research professors can be employed and attempt “real life, hands on” project demonstrations. The CDC’s projects also provide the University with a means of offering their sophisticated laboratory resources for use on projects sponsored by EIO.
The CDC is also working with Ohio’s other universities and particularly the local Community College (Cuyahoga) for ancillary services such as computer programming, CAD design, and other technical support to augment those offered by Kent State University. Presently a training program encompassing new energy efficient "Best Practices" technologies is being formulated with Cuyahoga Community College and Case Western Resource University.
The CDC could not have been located at a more suitable location. The industrial complex currently harbors a number of other adjunct disciplines such as machine shops, tool and die makers, and support types of firms. The complex also has a Federal employment training program teaching basic skills to area residents. And, finally, the complex also houses an affiliate of a development bank, Shorebank, a primary financier of new and innovative technologies who are able to witness projects being developed aiding in the ability of innovators to obtain financing for new project launches.