Ohio Governor DeWine Announces $60M+ to Expand 3D Printing for Defense and Space

In November, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio announced plans to invest $125 million in the Innovation Hubs Program, building off of a previous effort that resulted in three Ohio Innovation Districts, located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus. In September, 2024, Governor DeWine named the awardees that received a total of $97 million to build the first three Innovation Hubs, located in Toledo, Dayton, and Akron.

Now, the DeWine administration has announced the fourth member of the Innovation Hubs Program: the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense. The National Additive Manufacturing (AM) Innovation Institute, America Makes, is one of the members of the coalition that was awarded the funding, which will be dedicated to further enhancing the region’s position as a national and global leader in deploying AM for aerospace and defense sectors.

In addition to $26 million from the Ohio Innovation Hubs Program, the Youngstown Innovation Hub is also getting off the ground with $36 million in investments from local, federal, and private sources. It is anticipated that by 2029, the new hub will lead to the creation of almost 500 new jobs, and a state revenue increase of over $150 million.

In a press release, the executive director of America Makes, John Wilczynski, said, “Together with our regional ecosystem partners, we have elevated Youngstown as the epicenter for market-ready [AM] technologies. This initiative strengthens that foundation, aligning our capabilities with the defense and aerospace industries and empowering small-to-medium manufacturers to leverage advanced technologies for new opportunities in these critical sectors.”

Kimberly Gibson, Ecosystem Director at America Makes, said, “By enhancing these industries’ capabilities and expanding their market presence, the Hub will not only boost local industrial capacity but also pave the way for cutting-edge solutions to meet Ohio’s evolving needs. Additionally, the technologies commercialized through the Hub for aerospace and defense will ripple into other sectors, including energy, medical devices, construction, and semiconductors. With its focus on enabling technology and optimizing core manufacturing practices, the Hub positions [AM] as a key force in driving the future of these diverse industries — ushering in a new era of innovation and economic growth.”

It wouldn’t be too much to say that America Makes is one of the most successful creations of 21st century US industrial policy. In a timeline that’s generally so rife with missteps, the fact that America Makes has managed to live up to the vision that founded the organization in 2012 — to create nothing less than a national hub for AM — is especially impressive.

Whether directly or indirectly, virtually every single company in the US AM industry (not to mention the rest of the industry across the globe) has benefitted from the work that America Makes has done in a little over a decade. This latest funding commitment matches that track record, and is big enough to ensure the momentum necessary for the organization to propel itself into the next phase of its development.

Again, for countless reasons, the US in the 21st century has been a particularly difficult environment for executing on macro-level industrial policy goals. On the other hand, America Makes proves that such a state of affairs is by no means a foregone conclusion, and lays out a blueprint for how the trajectory of US economy can change from this point forward.

Images courtesy of America Makes.