Akron builds $42 million statewide ‘innovation center’ for polymer research, business development

Once the center is up and running, participants will work on creating polymers for use in electric vehicles, making medical devices less invasive and improving the performance of semiconductors, the governor said.

DeWine and others said research will also focus on making polymer production more sustainable.

“Our innovation center will accelerate what we need to do, especially as we look toward future sustainable options—whether it’s renewable material, recycled material, material with a much lower carbon footprint,” said Erin Spring, senior director of materials science at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. “There are a lot of technical challenges that I know we can overcome. There are a lot of commercial challenges to overcome.”

About $25 million of the funding for the center will go toward creating a pilot polymer manufacturing facility that will allow startups and small businesses to test new materials and scale up production to commercial levels, according to a release from the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce.

The remaining $16.65 million will go to support research and development, training and certification of new polymer researchers and scientists, assistance to startups and providing staff, the release said.

Thursday’s announcement follows separate but complementary federal efforts over the past year to promote Akron’s polymer industry. Last October, the Biden administration designated the city as one of 31 “Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs” eligible for significant federal grants. One such grant, awarded in July, provides $51 million to help accelerate sustainable polymer production to reduce environmental problems associated with plastics and rubber derived from fossil fuels.

The $31.5 million in state funding is part of $125 million that Ohio lawmakers have earmarked in the current state budget to build four such “innovation centers,” which are intended to expand existing “traditional” industries in cities other than Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus.

Akron is the third city to win state funding for an innovation center, following Toledo’s $31.3 million for a center focused on glass technology and Dayton’s $35 million for a center dedicated to aerospace and defense technologies.

Jeremy Pelzer covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.