Dayton : Innovation + Job News

Wright State University (WSU) has broken ground on a $37 million research facility, priming the region to take a leading role in the neuroscience field.
 
Dr. Robert Fyffe, Vice President for Research at WSU, says the idea of the new facility is to bring people together from different fields. “This facility will bring create synergies between people and lead to innovation,” he says. “If you can get people working together side-by-side with the recourse you need for truly collaborative, disciplinary work, you can actually achieve much more than if people are working in isolation.”
 
The new facility, scheduled for completion in February of 2015 and occupancy by spring of 2015, will house a diverse array of equipment necessary for the variety of fields of research that will be taking place. “There will be the ability to do everything from cellular molecular imaging to looking at MRI scans,” details Fyffe. “There will also be a good deal of specialized equipment in terms of advanced manufacturing and related areas.”
 
Similar to the vision of the facility itself, funding was made possible by what Dr. Fyffe describes as “a number of mechanisms,” including the state of Ohio’s budget for higher education and bonds issued by the university to assist with construction. This, combined with President Obama’s recently launched Brain Initiative, shows “neuroscience is an area that is moving again to the forefront of research,” Fyffe believes. Best of all, it allows Dayton and the state of Ohio to lead the way in research and innovation.
 
“I think it will be a strong beacon to continue to attract neuroscience research,” says Fyffe of the new research center, noting the alignment of interests between WSU and nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. “The state is beginning to prime itself to step forward in the neuroscience field.”
 
 
Source: Dr. Robert Fyffe
Writer: Joe Baur

According to research released in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year, hospitals in 2010 performed 243,802 knee replacement surgeries, up from 93,230 in 1991. According to the study, annual demand for knee replacement surgeries could reach 3.5 million by 2030. The researchers attribute the potential increase to various factors, including aging baby boomers.

The popularity of the procedure and the price of knee replacement devices are contributing to rising health care costs, says Harold Linville, co-founder and chairman of Dayton’s NovoSource.
 
“The market for knee replacement devices is dominated by three or four companies,” he explains. “They provide great products that produce excellent results, but their overhead is huge, with large facilities, big staffs, expensive advertising and a costly distribution system.”
 
NovoSource is introducing its own knee replacement device. “It’s being manufactured by one of the companies the big players use to make their products,” he says. “Our device is made of the exact same materials and has the exact same functionality. The quality is the same. The difference is that ours will be much less expensive.”
 
The reason, according to Linville, is NovoSource’s streamlined business model. 

“We have a significantly lower overhead, with fewer employees and one sales person,” he says. “We also have better supply chain management because we’re working with our suppliers to establish long-term manufacturing agreements. Our approach also means we can maintain a lower inventory without tying up money.”
 
The company won’t be doing any advertising and will sell directly to hospitals and surgeons. “In terms of overcoming skepticism about considering our device, we’re able to provide data to prove that the quality of our product is just as good as anything else available on the market,” he states.
 
NovoSource’s knee replacement device is under final review by the FDA, and results are expected soon. The company plans to start distribution in Florida with the surgeons it worked with to develop the product.

NovoSource received $1.2 million in funding from the Dayton Development Coalition, with the rest coming from angel investors.
 

Source:  Harold Linville, NovoSource
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) has been awarded $412,000 from the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership to assist small to mid-size manufacturers within the Dayton area solve problems.
 
A research and development arm of the University of Dayton, UDRI plans to use the awarded funds to better serve companies within the region that have the capability to create jobs and make an impact on the local economy. Larrell Walters, Division Head of Sensors Systems at UDRI, says companies with less than 50 employees often face problems they are not equipped to solve.
 
“[They] really don’t know all the resources that are available to them,” Walters explains. “We are basically helping them connect the dots to things that can help them solve problems, move their technologies forward, help them create more revenue and more jobs.” After discovering a company’s problems, Walters and his team are oftentimes able to connect two different companies together that otherwise might not have known of their existence. This ultimately leads to new relationships and new growth opportunities.
 
Companies interested in receiving help can visit fastlane-mep.org for more information. No matter if the problem is technical or workforce related, Walters promises a quick response. “Fill out a short form, and we promise to get back to them within 48 hours.”
 
UDRI’s launch goal is to work with six to eight companies per month. “That might not sound like a lot,” Walters admits. “But if you can work with seven, eight companies a month solving real problems, that create a lot of opportunity for the state of Ohio and the people of Ohio.”
 
 
Source: Larrell Walters
Writer: Joe Baur

This week, Detroit-based Digerati launched its Intern in Ohio program to the public, which is sponsored by the University of Toledo. Like eHarmony, the program uses an advanced matching algorithm to match students with internship opportunities.
 
Intern in Ohio is free to both students who are looking for internships and businesses who want to post internships. To register, students and employers visit Intern in Ohio’s website to sign up and create a profile or post internship opportunities. Students fill out a short questionnaire about their preferences, and employers share information about the position. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each student, as well as for each position. When the match is made, both the student and employer are notified, and they must show interest before any contact information is shared.
 
“We encourage diverse companies—large and small, for-profit and nonprofit, government and corporate,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Digerati’s Classroom to Career. “It’s a great chance for employers to broadcast their company and internship program across the state and reach a larger pool of applicants.”
 
Only companies in Ohio can post opportunities to the Intern in Ohio website, but all types of internships are welcome. There are posts for marketing, engineering and social media, among others, says Pittman.
 
The program is open to all students who live in Ohio, whether they’re in-state or out-of-state students. Research shows that not only do internships often lead employment offers after graduation, but that students are more likely to remain in an area where they held and internship.
 
“This is the first replication of the Classroom to Career technology from Michigan to Ohio,” says Pittman. “Experiential learning is a game-changer; and we’re looking forward to working with smaller communities to make a difference.”
 
In 2011, Digerati launched its Intern in Michigan program, which has resulted in more than 127,000 matches and introductions between students and employers. Over 1,000 Michigan businesses have posted 4,824 internship opportunities, and 1,049 colleges and universities in the state use the site.
 
Full disclosure: hiVelocity's parent company, IMG, supplies content to Intern in Ohio on a contractual basis.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
Follow Caitlin on Twitter

The Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), which serves 14 counties in west central Ohio, is the region’s economic development and advocacy organization supporting job creation.
 
When deciding where to locate, businesses consider a host of different factors, including a skilled workforce, transportation, logistics, taxes, incentives and educational institutions, when deciding where to locate. DDC relies on its internal data team to research and provide information on these and other important factors to help attract regional economic development.
 
The data team was recently tapped to present some of its best practices and strategies at the Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) national conference.  According to its website, EMSI provides “high-quality employment data and economic analysis through web tools and custom reports.”
 
The team shared how it uses EMSI data to target economic development efforts, explains Kristy Rochon, director of DCC’s institutional research and strategic planning. Impressed by the team’s presentation, EMSI is featuring some highlights on its website.

“One of our best practices is how we use data to recruit businesses to the Dayton region,” Rochon says. “When businesses contact us about what they need for their business decision, we put together the most competitive and comprehensive package possible, using data from a host of different sources. Instead of just feeding them data, however, we try to gain as much insight into their company as possible, comparing the Dayton region to where they’re currently located. We consistently go beyond the parameters to give them what they need.”
 
A second best practice, Rochon explains, reflects how DDC’s data team uses EMSI data to analyze regional competitive strengths and opportunities. “We look at what we call ‘driver industries.’ These are high-skilled industries that carry high job multipliers,” she says. “High job multipliers mean that for every job in that ‘driver industry,’ it’s going to produce additional jobs in that industry.”
 
She cites aerospace systems, advanced materials manufacturing, biosciences and advanced data management as examples of “driver industries.”
 
“What we’re looking for here is projected growth or projected decline and trying to understand the factors behind it. The goal is to find ways to strengthen the industry or capitalize on that growth.”

Source:  Kristy Rochon, Dayton Development Coalition
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

 

The Dayton Region Signature Fund has announced its recent distribution of $520,000 to area tech startups, totaling $1.4 million for 2012. The Dayton Development Coalition manages the fund to assist the growth of technology-based companies.
 
Launched in September of 2007, over 60 startup businesses comprise the Fund’s portfolio, making a significant difference in the local economy. This latest distribution was raised primarily from the exit of NanoSperse, a design and manufacturing company located at the National Composite Center. Their work consists of manufacturing nano-enhance dispersions for aerospace and industrial uses.
 
“We support investments that support individual entrepreneurs and grow the region’s key cluster areas,” explains Ray Hagerman, Vice President of Investments at the Dayton Development Coalition. These clusters include Aerospace Systems, Advanced Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology and Advanced Data Management, and Human Sciences and Healthcare.
 
Universities and non-profits stand to benefit as well. “The money is going to investors, some of which are universities and non-profits,” explains Hagerman, adding the investment will allow them to have “more money to use for scholarships and to give away to worthy causes.”
 
Companies aligned with the Fund have received nearly $200 million in additional funding, creating approximately 412 jobs. This clustering of companies has garnered attention from global corporations that are now looking at Dayton as a place to build additional supply chains.
 
“The Fund’s primary goal is to provide solid returns to its investors,” says Hagerman. “The by-products are jobs and healthy companies.”
 
 
Source: Ray Hagerman
Writer: Joe Baur

EnviroFlight has developed a method of aquaculture that could play a key role in solving world hunger.
 
EnviroFlight is an insect-based feed developer based in Yellow Springs. Glen Courtright founded the company in 2009 with an eye on responding to the world’s shrinking food supply.
 
“We’re going to have to double the world’s food supply in the next 30 years to feed the projected increase in population and account for the increase in standard of living,” Courtright explains. “Aquaculture is a key part of the solution.”
 
Typical sources of protein, such as beef, pork or poultry, are far more taxing on a farmer’s resources than fish. They require more space and more food.
 
At the rate we’re going, our overtaxed ecosystems can’t supply the protein needed to meet the projected food demand. That’s where Courtright believes he can makes a difference. “We believe the cultivation of insects as an aquaculture feedstuff is a key part of a global solution.”
 
Courtright and his team have spent the past three years perfecting their technology and developing aquaculture feed formulations. The solution is converting distiller grains from ethanol production into three products that are high in protein and low in fat. These ingredients are then fed directly to the insect larvae. “Most animals can’t live on an exclusive distillers grain diet, but the insects can,” emphasized Courtright. The result is high quality, healthy feedstuff used to farm fish that will in turn feed hungry families.
 
EnviroFlight is currently testing their feed formulations on tilapia and rainbow trout with an eye on large-scale production in 2013.
 
“Our technology will greatly benefit the world,” Courtright exclaims. “We’re able to create a clean, sustainable source of feed for aquaculture” that will produce safer, better quality fish products right here in Ohio.
 
 
Source: Glen Courtright
Writer: Joe Baur

Cyber security is a red-hot topic of worldwide concern with would-be cyber attackers representing a significant problem for virtually every major service we use.

That’s according to Peter Jenney, chief technology officer of Dayton’s SCADA Security Innovation, Inc. (SSI), which develops software protection systems for Industrial Control System (ICS) equipment and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA).

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has invented and is patenting software security algorithms to protect computers against cyber attacks. AFIT recently announced that it has partnered with SSI to commercialize the technology, granting an exclusive license to the invention for the ICS market and further rights for the automotive electronics market.

“This represents the first time in recent memory that AFIT has licensed technology for development in commercial markets,” says Rusty Baldwin, research director for AFIT’s Center for Cyberspace Research.

According to Jenney, the technology is aimed at general purpose computers, and SSI is focusing its efforts on specializing it for industrial control system networks that represent our critical infrastructure. The infrastructure includes everything from municipal water supplies, power plants and distribution systems to petroleum refineries, water and waste management facilities.

“Many of these computer control systems were not designed to withstand cyber attacks,” he explains.  “Unlike cyber attacks against banks or other institutions, the cost of these attacks is measured not in loss of credit card numbers and money, but in loss of life, environmental impact and cost of recovery.”

Vulnerable networks offer attack pathways into sensitive equipment that, should it be compromised, could enable an attacker to take over entire processes. The pathways may be used to capture sensitive information, such as research and development, process control or other proprietary secrets that could damage a company’s competitiveness or integrity.

“Our goal is to give cyber warriors the tools they need to make successful attacks against critical systems extremely difficult, if not impossible,” Jenney says.

SSI anticipates being ready to market the new technology in late 2013.

The company was established in late 2011 as a subsidiary of Boston’s Security Innovation, Inc. It received an investment of $200,000 from the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC). DDC says that commercializing technologies developed by or for the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a long-term key to encouraging new business investment that can lead to job creation.

Source:  Peter Jenney, SCADA Security Innovation, Inc.

TiE Ohio will recognize international entrepreneurs at its awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 20. Two Cleveland business executives, Jose Feliciano and Wayne Duigan, will be honored.
 
TiE Ohio is a resource for entrepreneurs to network and find mentors for their businesses. This event recognizes immigrant and American-born entrepreneurs who have taken their businesses to an international level.

“Entrepreneurs have the passion, the dream and they are willing to put themselves all in,” says Joe Cole, executive director of TiE Ohio. “We want to reward the entrepreneurs who are going global.”
 
Jose Feliciano, a trial lawyer with BakerHostetler, will receive the Community Catalyst Award. The award recognizes people who have supported immigrant entrepreneurs. “He’s really been in the forefront of advocacy of the immigrant entrepreneur,” adds Cole. “He has a predisposition to being an entrepreneur.”
 
Feliciano is the founder and chair of the Hispanic Roundtable, is former chairman of the Hispanic Leadership Development Program, founder of the Hispanic Community Forum and was a founder of the Ohio Hispanic Bar Association. He also hosts the monthly talk show, El Sol de Cleveland. “He’s really been out in the forefront,” says Cole.
 
Wayne Duigan, director international sales for Horizons, Inc. is nominated for the Global Entrepreneur award. “He has significantly grown Horizons’ global presence,” Cole notes. “They’ve really done a great job in establishing an international presence.”
 
The event will be held at the Ariel International Center at 5:30 p.m. Mark Kvamme, president and CIO of JobsOhio, will be the keynote speaker. 

 
Source: Joe Cole
Writer: Karin Connelly

The Curiosity rover is busy investigating Martian climate and geology, thanks in large part to a power system developed by the University of Dayton Research Institute’s (UDRI) Energy Technologies and Materials Division.

“The art of science resides in people and not equipment,” says UDRI’s Senior Research Engineer, Chad Barklay. He explains their contribution to the Curiosity project was the result of collaboration among a team of scientists from JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), NASA, Teledyn and Rocketdyne. “[We] determined which tests would be needed to ensure that the radioisotope power system (RPS) would properly function after entry, descent and landing.”

The result was a system that operates Curiosity’s wheels, robotic arm, computers, radio and other instruments. Needless to say, NASA is pleased with UDRI’s contribution. “Informally, there has been nothing but praise from various NASA program mangers regarding our efforts and contributions,” says Barklay, noting a few researchers on his staff have previously received formal recognition from NASA in the form of “Group Achievement Awards.”

As Curiosity continues its expedition 350 million miles away, Barklay continues his work in radioisotope power systems – something he says has a rich legacy in Dayton.

Dayton-based scientists Kenneth Jordan and John Birden developed the principle and first working model of the nuclear batter. “In 1959, they received a patent for their invention, and it is this technology that forms the basis for all RPS’s used in deep space missions today,” Barklay explains, powering some of NASA’s most notable missions, such as Pioneer, Voyager and Galileo.

“The legacy of this pioneering work that occurred almost 60 years ago in the Dayton area is amazing. It has travelled beyond our solar system and is still alive at the University of Dayton.”


Source: Chad Barklay
Writer: Joe Baur

The Ohio Department of Development wants to help companies and organizations buy and sell their products locally across the state. 

Check Ohio First is a free and easy-to-use online program to promote contracting with and between Ohio businesses. “Both suppliers and buyers enter brief profiles into the Check Ohio First directory, which can then be searched by Check Ohio First members,” explains Wendy Boortz, Program Manager. “The program automatically matches buyers and suppliers by industry codes.”

“Check Ohio First celebrates the strength of Ohio businesses,” said Christine Schmenk, Director of ODOD, in a news release. “Ohio buyers like to do business with local companies, and this partnership is perfect for job creation.”

Check Ohio First was launched in October 2011 as a virtual, year-round extension of the Ohio Department of Development’s annual Ohio Business Matchmaker program, an annual procurement event now going into its eighth year.

According to Boortz, Check Ohio First recently added free webinars to the mix. “Buyers educate suppliers on how to do business with their organization, and procurement counselors provide webinars that help businesses get ready for contracting opportunities,” she says.  Most of the webinars are recorded and stored in the resource library located on the Check Ohio First website.

“The website also contains a list of upcoming events, and visitors can browse our resource library and link to procurement training and opportunities,” she states.

Boortz notes that Check Ohio First is building a database to reflect private and public users. “We currently have about 350 profiles, including 100 companies that have registered as both buyers and suppliers and 20 as buyers only.”


Source:  Wendy Boortz
Writer: Lynne Meyer

The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) is expanding their 3-D print-manufacturing program thanks to $3 million in funding awarded from the Ohio Third Frontier earlier this month.
 
The program, which runs for three years, gives UDRI the capability to start a new line of research, says Program Manager Brian Rice. “Specifically, the technology we’re focused on is something called Fused Deposition Modeling [FDM],” an additive manufacturing technology primarily used for prototyping. But Rice and his team’s interest in the technology is to produce actual functional parts for aerospace and automobile companies, like GE and Honda.
 
Explains Rice, “Let’s say, for example, one of our partners is GE Aircraft Engines. Just on a commercial engine, there might be 400 to 500 unique parts that each part would require tooling if they were going to produce it by injection molding or something. And so, the key is they can produce these unique parts with no tooling.” He goes on to explain a very near future where companies can key up three-dimensional parts on a computer and simply print it.
 
Although the technology exists in some facets, it will take time to approve large-scale FDM manufacturing for planes and cars. “When you’re putting something on an airplane or car where human safety is a concern, it takes longer to develop the technology, because it has to go through all sorts of material testing.” But the wait, Rice says, will be worth it.
 
“You take your car into the shop and they don’t have the part,” he explains, describing another scenario. “Well, in the future you might be able to just call the part up from a computer file and print it right there,” saving the consumer weeks in shipping and delivery. “We’re not there today, but that’s where the future will be.”


Source: Brian Rice
Writer: Joe Baur

The inaugural Great Lakes Venture Fair will take place at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown October 17-18, on the heels of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds annual conference. The fair is a collaborative effort  between  JumpStart, Ohio Capital Fund, Ohio Venture Association, TiE Ohio, CincyTech and TechColumbus and will bring together investors and startups from across the Midwest.
 
“It’s a chance for the venture capital community to come together and see some of the most promising startups,” explains Carolyn Pione Micheli, director of communications for CincyTech. “According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, in 2007 all net news job growth came from companies that are less than five years old.” The event is the successor to the Ohio Capital Fund’s Early Stage Summit, which was held in Columbus for seven years.
 
The GLVF will only accept 18 startup companies in bioscience and IT to pitch their companies to investors. Other activities at the event include presentations on regional investment activity, and conversations about building future growth in startups and investing.
 
“In terms of growing fresh new jobs, small companies are the key, “ says Micheli. “The startup community is really important to our economic future.”
 
Keynote speaker will be Jeff Weedman, vice president of global business development for Proctor & Gamble. The application deadline for companies looking for funding is Aug. 12. Registration to attend is $200 before Sep. 15, $250 after that.

 
Source: Carolyn Pione Micheli
Writer: Karin Connelly

Dayton’s history of innovation continues with Applied Optimization, an engineering research and development firm. Since 2009, the company has grown revenues by 56%, hiring additional employees and leasing additional space. Their string of successess has allowed them to take on new, exciting projects.
 
Applied Optimization is focused on space sciences and advanced manufacturing. It hearkens back to the city’s Rust Belt lore with a 21^st century feel. Its team of engineers and computer scientists has worked on a variety of aerospace projects, including Boeing LTS, Rolls Royce, Phantom Works as well as government organizations, such as the Missile Defense Agency.
 
Principal Scientist Dr. Anil Chaudhary has been with the downtown R&D organization since he started the company in 1995. He attributes the company’s success to a simple mantra: “Do good work and keep your promises.”
 
Unsurprisingly, working in the city that gave us flight has had a special impact on Chaudhary, who came to the United States to continue his education after receiving his bachelor of technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1977. “Dayton offers unique, first-hand opportunities to interact with scientists who are on the forefront of technological developments,” he explains. “It is an important plus.”

Recently, Chaudhary began work on 3-D printing of metallic parts. "The goal is to be able to produce a small batch of parts economically. This is particularly relevant for aerospace applications where the lot sizes are typically small. The work we do are research programs sponsored by the Air Force, Navy and the Army. We also provide commercial support to the aerospace industry."

Given their progress, Chaudhary predicts continued success “as long as we always remember why the customers gave us work in the first place.”


Source: Dr. Anil Chaudhary
Writer: Joe Baur