“With our rich manufacturing history, Ohio is a natural fit to host a regional technology hub. As the historic rubber capital of the world, Akron is the ideal location for the future of sustainable polymers, to produce the domestic rubber and plastics of the 21st century. This investment will ensure that Ohio will lead in the technologies of the future, with Akron at the center of sustainable materials innovation,” said U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), one of the sponsors of the CHiPS and Science Act which funds the program through the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The tech hub strategy and development grant will help the Akron-based consortium of higher education, government, industry, economic development and labor or workforce organizations funds to develop a plan and compete for another $20-70 million to be awarded to 5-to-10 hubs. Those recipients will be announced in the spring.
The sustainable polymers group, headed by the Akron Chamber of Commerce for Sustainable Polymers and the University of Akron, was selected for its work on tackling the climate and environmental impacts that result from the use of fossil fuel-derived polymers, like rubbers and plastics, and accelerating the commercialization of sustainable polymer manufacturing.
As a member of the sustainable polymer coalition, Richard Kramer, president, chairman and CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., said the work to commercialize sustainable polymers is a collective effort.
"This funding will energize our ability to solve industry-wide challenges and drive innovation in priority areas like sustainability, which is a business imperative for our company and many others,” Kramer said.
The goal of the nationwide grant program is, according to the White House statement, “to strengthen U.S. economic and national security with investments in regions across the country with assets and resources with the potential to become globally competitive in the technologies and industries of the future."
In addition to the 31 tech hubs, 18 coalitions were awarded Strategy Development Grants to build economic development plans to compete for future rounds of the Tech Hub program.
