Ohio invests $10M to spur UAS business growth

A $10 million investment by the state of Ohio could help improve investment in local defense industry-related resources, including unmanned aerial systems, during the next two years.

The funds — $5 million each in 2014 and 2015 — were released by the Ohio Controlling Board and goes to the Dayton Development Coalition. The money will go in part toward strategies to attract the UAS industry, as well as other aerospace production capabilities to leverage gains at Department of Defense facilities in Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Development requested the funding specifically mentioning economic development efforts in Dayton, both in attracting more resources as budget constrains force consolidations nationally, and attracting more activity at research sites around Ohio. The money was released to Development Projects Inc., which receives public funds for the DDC.

Dayton is lobbying to be one of six sites approved by Federal Aviation Administration to be a testing site for Unmanned Aerial Systems, a move which could spur development locally from the emerging industry. Word on whether the city is selected is expected around the end of the year.

“Ohio and the Dayton region have a great opportunity to capitalize on existing aerospace industry assets, and to be on the leading edge of new unmanned systems development,” said state Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, in a statement.

The nonprofit Wright State Applied Research Consortium will match the Ohio funding with $1.25 million in funds per year, as Wright State University seeks to build research capabilities centered around human performance technologies.

Another $1.25 million is being matched by the Human Performance Consortium.

In addition to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the region’s largest employer, Dayton hosts a number of other UAS assets, including the 187th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, which operates UAS out of Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, and the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center.