JobsOhio Announces Launch of AccelerateOhio

New collaborative initiative aimed at attracting automotive, aviation, aerospace, military, and other advanced mobility industries to Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JobsOhio, the state's private nonprofit economic development corporation, today announced the launch of AccelerateOhio, a new campaign focused on attracting companies and organizations involved in scaling advanced mobility solutions in Ohio.

Leveraging Ohio's unique position as a leader in both air and ground mobility, AccelerateOhio is a collaborative effort between the state of Ohio, JobsOhio, and 15 public and private organizations to create an ecosystem of innovation for the advanced mobility sector - including automotive, aviation, aerospace, and military industries.

Coupled with Ohio's $104.6 billion manufacturing industry - the 3rd largest in the nation - and more than 80 colleges and universities equipping an average of 13,000 engineering professionals every year, AccelerateOhio offers stakeholders access to an impressive and growing advanced manufacturing workforce across the state.

"AccelerateOhio gives us a great opportunity to use technology to improve quality of life and grow an innovative economy that will fuel the jobs of the future," said Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Director of InnovateOhio. "JobsOhio's mission to build upon our state's already robust manufacturing and aviation industries through this project will position us for future growth and collaboration in the advanced mobility sector."

Ohio possesses an unparalleled ecosystem for developing advanced mobility solutions on the ground and in the air. Located in East Liberty, Ohio, the Transportation Research Center, Inc., (TRC) is North America's most advanced, independent mobility testing and research complex, and the TRC's SMARTCenter is the most advanced testing site for automated and connected vehicles (AV/CV) in North America. Also, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) only Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) is in Ohio on the campus of the TRC.

"The strength of Ohio shows when public, private and corporate partners work together toward a common goal," said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. "AccelerateOhio is a great example of how collaboration drives innovation, and JobsOhio is proud to be part of a group positioning the state as a global leader in advancing the next generation of mobility."

Soon, Ohio will be home to the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) at Springfield Beckley Airport, where companies can conduct BVLOS autonomous flight testing in the National Airspace System. In November, the 2021 Ohio Advanced Air Mobility Showcase brought Ohio's next-generation aviation assets together under the FlyOhio banner to NAAMCE. Led by the Ohio Department of Transportation's DriveOhio initiative, FlyOhio partners include industry leaders in advanced air mobility, the United States Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), JobsOhio, the Ohio Federal Research Network, the Dayton Development Coalition, the City of Springfield, and corporate partners from across Ohio. Two historic flights punctuated the day. Kitty Hawk flew its crewless, winged aircraft, the Heaviside 2 Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS), and Lift's flight featured its human-crewed, wingless Hexa aircraft.

Other advanced mobility projects include:

The 33 Smart Mobility Corridor 
The Automated Driving Systems Project 
The I-70 Truck Automation Corridor Project 
SkyVision: Ground-Based Detect-and-Avoid Radar System 
The NASA Advanced Air Mobility Initiatives 
Unmanned Traffic Management  (UTM) Project for the state of Ohio

Making up AccelerateOhio, partnering organizations joining JobsOhio include:

• DriveOhio: As part of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), DriveOhio brings together a blend of public and private infrastructure entities, DriveOhio coordinates with advanced mobility technology developers to create a smart, safe transportation system.
• FlyOhio: Lead by DriveOhio's advanced air mobility (AAM) initiative, the Ohio UAS Center, FlyOhio is leading innovation in the emerging Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) markets and building the infrastructure for cargo delivery, passenger taxis, and other AAM initiatives. The Ohio UAS Center is also responsible for the operation of SkyVision which enables true Beyond Line of Sight at the Springfield Beckley Airport.
• Transportation Research Center: Transportation Research Center is the nation's largest independent vehicle test facility and proving ground with 4,500 acres of road courses and a 540-acre Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test (SMART) Center.
• Smart City Challenge: Winning the "Smart City Challenge" came with a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $10 million grant from Vulcan Inc. to share lessons learned about smart mobility solutions that improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.
• Beta District: Beta District, the combined effort of Connected Marysville, Connected Dublin, and public and private partners, created the Route 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, one of the largest deployments of connected vehicles in the country.
• NASA Glenn Research Center: NASA Glenn Research Center runs more than 500 specialized aviation research and test facilities, including noise testing for drones and advanced air mobility in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• The Air Force Research Laboratory: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) leads the discovery, development, and delivery of warfighting technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces, as well as emerging Urban Air Mobility/Unmanned Traffic Markets.
• AFWERx Agility Prime: AFWERx Agility Prime is a non-traditional military program that accelerates the commercial market for advanced air mobility vehicles (i.e., "flying cars") through universal safety and security standards.
• Ohio Federal Research Network: Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) supports research and development initiatives in smart mobility technologies through a collaboration of industry, university, and NASA, AFRL, NASIC or NAMRUD partnerships.
• The Ohio State University's Center for Automotive Research Program: The Ohio State University's Center for Automotive Research (CAR) program is focused on intelligent transportation systems, advanced vehicle safety, and sustainable mobility within a state-of-the-art Driving Simulation Laboratory.
• BRITE Energy Innovators: BRITE is the state of Ohio's only energy-focused incubator specializing in bringing products to market in e-mobility, energy storage, and grid resiliency.
• Sinclair Community College National UAS Training and Certification Center: Sinclair College is recognized as a national leader in UAS, supported by world-class partnerships, cutting-edge technology, and custom training programs designed to drive the expansion of the UAS industry

Through AccelerateOhio, JobsOhio and its partner organizations will bring together advanced mobility innovators, manufacturers, and research to guide, build, and nurture the emerging Advanced Mobility industry across the state. For more information, please visit https://www.jobsohio.com/industries/advanced-mobility/.  

About JobsOhio:

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

SOURCE JobsOhio