Ohio is home to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the NASA Glenn Research Center and other major players in military engineering, research, defense logistics and aerospace technology development.
Today, experts in these fields from across the state converged on Wright State University for the 10th annual Ohio Defense and Aerospace Forum.
Gov. Mike DeWine emphasized Ohio is recognized as a strong contributor to our country’s national security.
"We're seeing companies from all over the country recognizing Ohio is a hot spot, recognizing the Miami Valley is a great place to come," said DeWine. "The Air Force Base there, the fact that Springfield Airport is so vitally important in regard to drones. This is being noticed by companies around the world."
The all-day event offers numerous panels discussing the state’s installations, their importance to the U.S. national security as well as how to enhance non-military partnerships to promote economic development in communities.
U.S. Congressman Mike Turner is credited with first launching this forum in 2016.
The one day event was held on the campus of Wright State University.
He stressed new career opportunities are on the horizon for today’s high schoolers.
"Just at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base alone, just about 40% of the overall employment base... in the next five years is going to be retirement-eligible," said Turner.
"That means that if you are a student in high school and you want to go into science or engineering, and you choose to go to college in Ohio and study science and engineering and look for a job in defense and science and engineering, you can probably find a job right here at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base or some place in Ohio, and our universities are prepared to prepare you for those jobs."
According to the Dayton Development Coalition, numerous projects are now in building phases and will soon infuse new jobs into local economies. They include Honda and LG, which are jointly building a new $4.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Fayette County, near Jeffersonville. The facility will produce lithium-ion batteries for Honda and Acura electric vehicles. Mass production is expected by the end of 2025.
The defense technology firm Anduril Industries is investing nearly a billion dollars to build a hyperscale manufacturing facility, known as Arsenal-1. It will produce military drones at Rickenbacker International Airport in Pickaway County. Manufacturing is slated to begin July 2026. The new facility is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs by 2035.
The Youngstown Innovation Hub will bring together government, academic, and industry partners to research and develop 3D printing for military equipment. The renovated facility is expected to be operational by 2029.
The onMain Development in Dayton is creating a space for military and federal experts as well as specialists in private industry and academia to expand high-tech data research.
The Sierra Nevada Corporation is building an additional two hangers at the Dayton International Airport. It's working on a new $13 billion contract with the U.S. Air Force to modify Boeing 747 aircraft into Survivable Airborne Operations Centers. Pen-named a "Doomsday" plane, it will provide command and control capabilities during a national emergency.
