“We are thrilled to be able to continue to provide our current clients with the technical and sector-specific business development guidance that they need to build their businesses,” Stacy Strauss, Innovation Center director, said. “We appreciate the continued support from the USDA which enables the valuable work that we do to create economic development through entrepreneurial support.”
The focus of the support is to reassure Innovation Center clients that they have been granted access to the center’s personnel, who provide business development guidance including business acumen; compliance with regulatory oversight; understanding of proper manufacturing equipment use and maintenance; creation of manufacturing protocols and procedures to ensure safety, efficiency, and adherence to standards; and client staff training on equipment and protocols. This support will allow the entrepreneurs and startup businesses to advance their technologies, expedite their path to market, and scale. The main goal of this technical service delivery is to increase new business and job creation.
The Innovation Center is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed business incubator that provides resources and guidance to tech and tech-enabled startup companies based in Athens and the surrounding area. The Innovation Center is approximately 36,000-square-foot and is a key player in fueling the economic development throughout Southeast Ohio. The Innovation Center has helped launch over 300 businesses since 1983 and has added over 3,000 high-paying jobs to the Southeast Ohio region. The Innovation Center’s 2021 Economic Impact Report highlighted the program’s support of the creation of 249 jobs that initiated an estimated $18 million in employee compensation and $49.7 million in economic output in Athens County.
On the statewide level, the Ohio Third Frontier Commission approved $2.5 million in funding this summer that will provide capital to technology startup companies in industries ranging from health care to military applications. Ohio Third Frontier is a technology-based initiative focused on supporting innovative startup companies across the state.
The Commission also approved $3 million in funding for continued support of the Diversity & Inclusion Technology Internship Program to help companies fill their technology needs, build Ohio’s workforce, and grow the state’s inclusive tech economy.
“These new technologies and breakthroughs speak to the future of innovation in Ohio,” Governor Mike DeWine said. “These companies have the potential to improve health outcomes, strengthen our military, improve the energy supply, and enhance cybersecurity.”
“In addition to advancing cutting-edge technology, we are investing in young talent to ensure these companies have the skilled workforce necessary to continue growing and innovating here in Ohio,” said Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Ohio Department of Development and Chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission. “We are building Ohio’s inclusive tech economy while helping companies stay competitive by identifying and implementing new technology-driven solutions.”
