Plain Dealer – When the White House announced President Barack Obama's visit to Ohio, his aides pointed to Cleveland's status as a "comeback city." While those of us who live in Northeast Ohio know that Cleveland has never gone away, we should take pride in a presidential visit aimed at exploring our city's revitalization.

President Obama is right to look to Cleveland as he continues to chart our nation's economic comeback. Northeast Ohio is home to cutting-edge research and development, innovative small businesses and a rich history of entrepreneurialism. But Ohio is also our nation's third-largest manufacturing state — with manufacturing jobs paying higher wages and supporting more spinoff jobs than many service industries.

The president has talked about innovation, education and infrastructure as pillars that are critical to improving economic competitiveness and strengthening our middle class.

But if we're going to out-compete and out-innovate the rest of the world, we need to do more than just research and develop 21st-century technologies. We also need to produce them here and sell them around the world.

Here's how.

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