Build a profitable aerospace, aviation, and defense business in Ohio

As the birthplace of global aviation with Orville and Wilbur Wright’s invention of flight in 1903, Ohio has developed the innovative assets and workforce you need to help your aerospace, aviation, or defense business take off. Ohio's aerospace, aviation, and defense industry is one of the state’s largest industries directly employing 100,133 skilled full-time workers. This total does not include tens of thousands of additional Ohio jobs supported by the industry in some 1,200 supplier companies serving multiple industries as well as Ohio’s universities, nonprofit organizations, and business aviation employees of companies outside the aerospace and aviation industry.

Ohio leads the nation in aircraft engine manufacturing and development, military aeronautics acquisition, and research and development. This leadership places Ohio at the forefront of the technology, resources, and skills needed to meet the anticipated 3.44 percent increase in global aircraft demand over the next decade. Ohio also has additional strength
in adjacent aerospace areas such as unmanned systems, advanced materials research and manufacturing, testing, and aircraft maintenance and overhaul. All together this creates an environment for unprecedented growth, partnership opportunities, productivity, and profitability at a low cost.

Ohio is within 600 miles (1,00 kilometers) of 61 percent of all U.S. and Canadian manufacturing locations. The state is centrally located and aerospace companies in Ohio are within 100 miles of two or more industry flagship organizations including the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, and GE Aviation in Cincinnati among others. Ohio's Wright Patterson Air Force Base/Air Force Material Command is the purchasing headquarters for the entire United States Air Force and its allies and Ohio offers a world-class logistics infrastructure. Becoming a part of the collaborative effort among Ohio's flagship organizations will allow your business to work to solve some of the aerospace industry's most challenging innovation needs, while subsequently gaining easy access to customers and the world. In addition, Ohio invests over $233 million dollars annually in R&D projects that will impact the aerospace industry.

Learn more how you can leverage Ohio's leadership in the development of new aerospace and aviation technologies to help your business succeed.

Build a profitable aerospace, aviation and defense business in Ohio

As the birthplace of global aviation with Orville and Wilbur Wright’s invention of flight in 1903, Ohio has developed the innovative assets and workforce you need to help your aerospace, aviation, or defense business take off. The Ohio Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense industry is one of Ohio’s largest industries directly employing 100,133 skilled full-time workers. This total does not include tens of thousands of additional Ohio jobs supported by the industry in some 1,200 supplier companies serving multiple industries as well as Ohio’s universities and nonprofit organizations, and business aviation employees of companies outside the aerospace and aviation industry. Ohio is uniquely positioned as the leader in aerospace and aviation given the sheer breadth and scope of our aerospace industry and aerospace assets.

Ohio leads the nation in aircraft engine manufacturing and development, military aeronautics acquisition, and research and development. This leadership places Ohio at the forefront of the technology, resources, and skills needed to meet the anticipated 3.44 percent increase in global aircraft demand over the next decade. Ohio also has additional strength in adjacent aerospace areas such as unmanned systems, advanced materials research and manufacturing, testing, and aircraft maintenance and overhaul.

The state is within 600 miles of 61 percent of all U.S. and Canadian manufacturing locations. Leveraging the state's central location, Ohio aerospace companies are within 100 miles of two or more industry flagship organizations including the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, and GE Aviation in Cincinnati among others.

All together this creates an environment for unprecedented growth, partnership opportunities, productivity, and profitability at a low cost. Find out more.

Video: Birthplace of Aviation

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base may be the jewel in Ohio's aerospace crown, but without the Wright Brothers to pave the way, who knows what Ohio's aviation history would look like? Take a ride with Orville and Wilber in this segment from "On Great White Wings," a documentary that re-creates the key events of the Wright Brothers development of the airplane. It is installed at the National Park Service's Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park visitor center in Dayton. Thanks to hiVelocity for sharing this video with me.

On Great White Wings VFX from xRez Studio on Vimeo.

Technology Innovation in the Sensors Industry

Sensors -- which can include any type of electromechanical device used to obtain data and feed it back for analysis -- have long had an impact on our lives. The heating and cooling of your car, your home security system, the quality of your drinking water -- all rely on sensors.

IDCAST is a beneficiary of Ohio Third Frontier funding. It was created with the support of a $28 million grant to the University of Dayton and partner organizations in academia, industry and the military to create Ohio jobs and technology innovation in the sensors industry.

“The idea of technology based economic development is key to what we’re doing here at IDCAST and it’s set up not only to develop technology, but to develop technology to create jobs,” said Larrell Walters, director of IDCAST.

Types of sensors being developed by IDCAST and other Ohio Third Frontier partners include pathogen detections systems to protect the military from chemical and biologic threats and biometric systems for facial and real-time fingerprint recognition that will help guard against terrorism. Research and development projects being conducted by IDCAST and its partners support the needs of the Air Force Research Laboratory and its Sensor Directorate, centered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Additionally, companies throughout Ohio are partnering to provide the devices and equipment needed by the military.

In addition to sensor technologies, Ohio Third Frontier has fostered the emergence of new technology clusters across the state, including fuel cells, photovoltaics, advanced materials and biomedical imaging.

According to the 2009 "Making an Impact" report conducted by SRI, Ohio Third Frontier's strategies for investing in Ohio's high-tech clusters contain all the elements associated with global best practices in technology cluster development, and indicate that these investments are already generating positive economic outcomes for Ohio's economy in terms of growth in technology sector employment, output and wages. Since its inception, the Ohio Third Frontier has created, capitalized or attracted more than 600 companies, has created nearly 55,000 direct and indirect jobs and helped create $6.6 billion in economic impact in Ohio, a 9:1 return on investment.

Ohio's supply chain, workforce, innovative incentives, market access, low business and personal taxes, and work:life balance present a strong value proposition for high-tech companies analyzing potential investment locations.

Director of NASA Glenn Research Center Shares Insights on Future of Space Flight

The NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland develops critical systems technologies and capabilities that address national priorities in partnership with U.S. industry, universities, and other government institutions. World-class research, technology, and capability development efforts are keys to advancing space exploration of the solar system and beyond, while maintaining global leadership in aeronautics. NASA Glenn is distinguished by its unique blend of aeronautics and space flight expertise and experience. The Center’s work is focused on technological advancements in space flight systems development, aeropropulsion, space propulsion, power systems, nuclear systems, communications, and human-related systems.

hiVelocity, an online magazine highlighting the people and businesses that are helping to transition Ohio’s economy for future generations, recently interviewed the director of NASA's Glenn, Ray Lugo. Ray has been around America's space program since he was a kid -- and now he could be at the epicenter of changes within the space agency as President Obama has proposed a redirection of NASA priorities. That shift in focus could propel the Glenn Center to the top of the agency's research centers, leading the development of new technologies that will be the foundation of future space flight, and feeding millions of science and technology dollars into Ohio's economy.

Ohio’s complete spectrum of aerospace, aviation and advanced propulsion technologies - both military and commercial – make the state attractive to businesses and executives in the aerospace industry. Ohio is home to 24 astronauts including Neil Armstrong, one of the three members of the Apollo 11 crew. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. Ohioan Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969.

Click here to read hiVelocity's interview with Ray.