YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel will join a host of officials Thursday afternoon at America Makes for the announcement of Ohio’s fourth Innovation Hub.
Local officials have been working for more than a year to establish a state-funded hub focused on defense manufacturing, research and development at the former Vindicator printing building, 107 Vindicator Square.
The Business Journal reported in November that the Youngstown Business Incubator had plans to lease space in the former newspaper building for the new center, tentatively named the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Defense and Aerospace.
Barb Ewing, YBI CEO, said during a December meeting of the Western Reserve Port Authority Board of Directors that she anticipated an announcement about funding for the hub in early 2025.
“Our goal is to establish Youngstown as the epicenter for additive manufacturing-ready technologies for industrial, aerospace and defense supply chain,” Ewing said at the port authority meeting. Contacted Wednesday, she said she was unable to comment on Thursday’s event.
The DeWine administration and Ohio General Assembly established the hub program to spur investment beyond Ohio’s major metro areas, according to a news release announcing Thursday’s event. The hubs combine the talents of leading academic and research institutions, workforce and economic development partners and private companies to gain a competitive advantage through collaboration.
In 2024, the state announced the creation of three innovation hubs: Northwest Ohio Glass Innovation Hub in Toledo; onMain Innovation Hub in Dayton; and Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub in Akron.
Thursday’s visit to Youngstown by Tressel will be his first since the former Youngtown State University president and head football coach was named Ohio’s lieutenant governor after he succeeded Jon Husted, who DeWine appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance.
DeWine and Tressel will be joined by Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development; Alexander Steeb, senior operations director at America Makes; Jim Fisher, vice president and chief operating officer, National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining; Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown; and state Sen. Al Cutrona of Canfield, R-33rd.
Pictured at top: The former Vindicator printing building at 107 Vindicator Square.