Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

It’s hard to catch up with states that are making innovation a top priority.

Take the Buckeye State for example. Ohio recently awarded more than $97 million for the Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub in Toledo, the onMain Innovation Hub in Dayton, and the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub in Akron. These hubs are part of the recently created a $125 million Ohio Innovation Hubs Program, a program that is “designed to make Ohio a national leader in innovation, creating new jobs and business opportunities by supporting world-class research in industry-aligned platforms that build upon Ohio’s existing legacy industries and research strengths,” according to the Ohio Department of Development which administers the program.

• The Ohio Innovation Hubs Program’s $31.25 million award to fund the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub project, led by the Polymer Industry Cluster, will be matched by $10.4 million from local partners. Approximately $25 million will support a Polymer Pilot Plant to scale, test, and prototype new materials. The remaining funds will be distributed to support work within the areas of R&D, workforce, startups, and staffing to support the longevity of the Polymer Industry Cluster. Over the next seven years, the Polymer Industry Cluster anticipates the project will catalyze nearly 2,400 new jobs in the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area, 500 STEM credentials, and $68 million in additional investments in the polymer industry. The governor’s announcement of the award to the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub follows Greater Akron’s designation as the Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub of the United States by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) and as a recipient of a $51 million investment as part of the EDA’s Phase 2 awards. “The state and federal awards are distinct yet complementary to one another,” according to a press release from the Greater Akron Chamber.
• The Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub is supported by more than $31.3 million in state funding from the Ohio Innovation Hubs Program and $10.4 million in local investment. It should, according to a press release from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office, “accelerate innovation and job growth in both the glass sector and solar industry, which relies heavily on glass.” The Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium (NOIC), which is leading the hub, estimates that the work of Glass Innovation Hub partners will have a $284 million economic impact on the northwest Ohio region, spurring $25 million in increased tax revenue and creating 1,600 new jobs over the next seven years. NOIC also anticipates that targeted glass and solar education opportunities will result in an increase of 230 additional local STEM graduates over the same timeframe.
• The onMain Innovation Hub is supported with $35 million in state funding from the Ohio Innovation Hubs Program, a local match of at least $23 million, and a private sector investment of up to $37 million. According to a press release from Gov. DeWine’s office, “the new onMain Innovation Hub will bring together government, academia, and private sector industry partners to make Dayton a global leader in the research and development of digital transformation technologies.” By 2031, onMain and their partners anticipate the hub’s work will lead to 2,000 new jobs, more than $39 million in additional state and local income tax revenue, and $500 million in new research dollars. They strive for a 25% increase in regional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduate retention in Ohio by 2031, with 1,400 individuals from non-traditional backgrounds in STEM careers, 3,000 additional STEM technical certifications and degrees, and 2,000 additional STEM internship opportunities.

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