For Serpil Erzurum, MD, the decision to build two research buildings on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus was an investment in the future of the health system’s research and innovation strategy. It also marked the largest research investment in the organization’s more than 100-year history.
The two buildings, which opened in early September, total 300,000 square feet and are designed to house more than 700 employees across nearly 30 laboratories and core service areas. Cleveland Clinic said the project is part of a broader effort to expand biomedical research within the Cleveland Innovation District.
For Dr. Erzurum, executive vice president and chief research and academic officer at Cleveland Clinic, the project required the same kind of trade-offs health system executives face in other parts of the organization.
“A defined budget requires us to establish priorities, make deliberate trade-offs, and direct resources toward the choices that will have the greatest impact. Working within defined constraints ensures that we focus on what matters most, rather than trying to do everything. We make more intentional decisions, have greater focus, and ultimately accelerate outcomes,” she said.
Dr. Erzurum said the investment builds on Cleveland Clinic’s longstanding mission around patient care, research and education while reflecting how scientific work has changed. Advances in genomics, protein metabolism, large-scale data and computational sciences have expanded both the questions researchers can ask and the technologies by which they answer them.
The buildings were designed around that shift. Laboratories are grouped into what Dr. Erzurum described as “neighborhoods” of science and innovation, with open layouts intended to encourage communication and collaboration. The facilities connect with high-performance and quantum computing capabilities, and include agentic AI laboratories where computational scientists are working on discovery and innovation.
“Laboratories today are fundamentally different from those of even five or 10 years ago—more technology-enabled, collaborative, flexible, and purpose-built to support increasingly complex research and innovation.” Dr. Erzurum said.
Asked why Cleveland Clinic chose to make the investment now, she pointed to the speed of scientific discovery and to health challenges that have evolved significantly over the past two decades.
“The opportunity to invest in science has never been greater or more consequential. This is precisely the moment to invest,” she said, pointing to transformative challenges and opportunities in areas such as pathogen research and inflammation, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.”
The project is part of the Cleveland Innovation District, a public-private initiative supported by the state of Ohio and JobsOhio. Cleveland Clinic has also developed partnerships with organizations including IBM, Canon Medical and Azenta, while Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, has established a presence in the district and sent interns to work on quantum and computational science projects.
Dr. Erzurum said the system is looking beyond traditional research output when evaluating the broader return from the investment. Cleveland Clinic has created nearly 2,000 jobs tied to the innovation district over the past five years, and she said the people working in the new laboratories will also contribute to surrounding economic and workforce growth.
“An innovation district is more than a place where people work. It is an ecosystem where people live, work, connect, and engage. When these districts are thoughtfully developed, they can catalyze investment, attract talent, strengthen surrounding neighborhoods, and bring new energy to a city. The impact extends well beyond science and technology, creating opportunities for the arts, culture, retail, and broader community to grow and prosper alongside that investment.”
For executives at other health systems, Dr. Erzurum said the transferable lesson is how organizations decide what deserves scarce resources.
“There will never be unlimited resources. Effective leadership requires making deliberate choices about where to invest,” she said. “At Cleveland Clinic, we have made a strategic decision to prioritize innovation as a driver of healthcare transformation.” She said that Cleveland Clinic views research as an investment expected to create future value rather than as discretionary spending.
“It is about investing in the future and creating sustainable value,” Dr. Erzurum said. “When we invest strategically in opportunities, we create value that extends well beyond the initial investment.” Dr. Erzurum said the budget influenced how the space was built and what equipment the team purchased. She compared their approach to a household budget: setting priorities and allocating resources where they matter most rather than trying to fund everything at once.
“When you establish clear priorities, you move faster, align the team, and create clarity around what matters most,” she said. “Science works the same way. Focus creates momentum, and discipline is what turns discovery into results and innovation.”
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