Collaboration Between Ohio Colleges and Universities Is Key to Aerospace Industry's Future

Student Access to Industry and Government Resources Propels Innovation in New Technologies

The Ohio Center for Advanced Propulsion and Power (OCAPP), an unprecedented collaboration among Ohio's leading colleges and universities, is shaping the future of innovation in the aerospace industry, according to the Ohio Business Development Coalition (OBDC), the nonprofit organization that markets the state for capital investment and supports Ohio's economic development efforts. Many of Ohio's higher education institutions are working together with industry and government partners to research and develop new technologies in aerospace propulsion systems.

Led by The Ohio State University and funded as a Wright Center of Innovation under Ohio's Third Frontier Project, OCAPP is a research center that brings together the state's significant aerospace resources -- a strong industrial base, two federal laboratories and seven existing university research programs.

Universities partnered with OCAPP include the Air Force Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Toledo, the University of Akron, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Dayton. OCAPP also works in conjunction with federal labs and industry corporations including the Air Force Research Laboratory, the NASA Glenn Research Center, GE Aviation, Parker Hannifin Corporation and the Timken Company.

"We have a unique alliance of industry, academia and government," said Dr. Mike Benzakein, chairman of aerospace engineering at The Ohio State University and co-director of OCAPP. "It permits us to focus the university research on the needs of government and industry and develop the right technologies for the products of the future."

Since its creation in 2004, OCAPP has expanded experimental research in gas turbine engine systems and turbine modeling, turbomachinery, computational aerodynamics, experimental acoustics and advanced materials development. OCAPP researchers also examine technology innovations in thermal management, heat transfer and cooling, aeroacoustics, systems engineering, compressor aerodynamics and intelligent systems development.

"The OCAPP program drives innovation by allowing the best young minds in the nation to collaborate with successful professionals to develop new technologies," said Joe Renaud, Ohio Aerospace and Defense Advisor. "Ohio's legacy in manufacturing and developing both new technologies and advanced materials make the state one of the top suppliers for the nation's aerospace propulsion and power industry."

Ohio's strength in developing new technologies for aerospace propulsion and power is complemented by a world-class logistics infrastructure and a large, skilled labor pool positioning Ohio as one of the most convenient and lucrative places to build a business in the aerospace industry while providing access to the recreational and education opportunities that make personal life enjoyable.

About the Ohio Business Development Coalition

The Ohio Business Development Coalition is a nonprofit organization that provides marketing strategy and implementation to support Ohio's economic development efforts. For more information, visit http://www.ohiomeansbusiness.com.

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