YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Optimism was high at the July 23 event marking the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense. The hub will forge a new era of advanced manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley.
State and local officials gathered outside the former Vindicator Printing Co. building to mark the start of the $32.7 million renovation project. Designated by Gov. Mike DeWine in February 2025 and supported by funding from the Ohio Department of Development’s $125 million Ohio Innovation Hubs Program, it is the state’s fourth hub, encompasses 130,000 square feet and is intended to help meet rising demand for advanced manufacturing incubation and acceleration space in Youngstown.
“This community has always been defined by its resilience, its work ethic and its ability to reinvent itself,” Megan Malara, hired last year as director of the new innovation hub, said at the event.
Local leaders have worked with state officials for years to try to secure an innovation hub for the Mahoning Valley, with the focus on the region’s expertise in manufacturing overall and advanced manufacturing in particular – including its status as the home of America Makes, the federal program that focuses on additive manufacturing.
Area institutions committed to providing $36 million through local, federal and private funding. That included $1.35 million from the city of Youngstown – a city not exactly flush with cash. Its leaders were cognizant of the impact the hub will have for the city and the broader region.
Other funds include $7 million from the Ohio Department of Development, $500,000 from local economic development partners and $200,000 from Mahoning County.
The projected return on the investment is approximately $161.6 million in economic impact and 450 new jobs tied to the hub, including 150 in the former Vindicator building.
Moreover, it further solidifies the Mahoning Valley’s position in aerospace and defense, one of five super-sectors defined by JobsOhio as hyper-growth areas.
The local commitment also demonstrates that local officials weren’t just looking for a handout. It demonstrated their desire to have a stake in the hub beyond supplying the training and talent it will need.
This is just an early step, but it’s a good one.
