county maintains its traditional manufacturing base. “We will never abandon automobile manufacturing. Honda is a very important part of Central Ohio’s economy, as well as the suppliers surrounding these areas.” Healthcare represents another pillar of the county’s economic strategy. “Biomedical and healthcare will continue to be major growth areas for Franklin County,” Wilson notes, emphasizing that this focus capitalizes on the presence of educational institutions and research facilities that support healthcare innovation. economic development strategy focused on highgrowth sectors that leverage the region’s existing strengths. “Our strongest targeted areas include information technology,” Wilson says. “We are a source of investments in data facilities for Meta, Google, Amazon Web Services, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.” The county has also positioned itself within the electric vehicle supply chain, a sector experiencing rapid growth nationwide. “Electronic vehicles are key—we have a significant LG Honda battery plant in our backyard to our south,” Wilson explains. Despite this pivot toward new automotive technologies, the 66 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05
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