Grant to fund glass innovation in northwest Ohio

The Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium (NOIC), Perrysburg, Ohio, has received a $31.3 million grant from the Ohio Innovation Hubs program to establish a glass innovation hub in northwest Ohio that is expected to create 1,600 jobs and $284 million in economic impact over the next five years.

The hub, which will research how to improve glass recycling and decarbonize the industry, also is expected to increase state tax revenue by $25 million and produce more than 200 new graduates working in science, technology, engineering and math fields to meet growing workforce demands.

This is the first such innovation hub to be announced in Ohio, building on the city of Toledo’s legacy as the "Glass Capital of the World" to accelerate innovation and job growth in both the glass sector and solar industry, which relies heavily on glass.

“Innovation rarely happens without daring ideas and bold risks, and Ohio's new Glass Innovation Hub will be a groundbreaking example of what we can achieve when we build partnerships and promote collaboration," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says. "This new venture will enhance the Toledo region's competitiveness on a global scale, propelling northwest Ohio to the forefront of glass and solar innovation."

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted adds, “The glass industry moved to northwest Ohio because of its proximity to natural resources, but its future growth will depend on innovation and talent. The innovation hub designation and funding will help make it more likely that companies and the region will have a more prosperous future. I believe this innovation collaborative will lead to making glass products stronger, lighter and with less energy, which will give the region’s glass companies a competitive advantage against their global competitors.”

The DeWine-Husted administration developed the Ohio Innovation Hubs Program in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly last year to spur investment outside Ohio's major metro areas. Similar to the Innovation Districts in Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, Innovation 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, the administration says.

The state funds will be matched by $10.4 million in cost-sharing funds from private sector industry, public sector universities, federal grants, economic development organizations and community foundations, according to a news release from NOIC. O-I Glass, Owens Corning, First Solar, Libbey Glass, Pilkington North America, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Glass Manufacturers Industry Council, Actual Reality, CelSianUSA, Owens Community College, ConnecToledo and the Regional Growth Partnership contributed the cost-sharing funds.

Within the next seven years, NOIC expects to deliver commercialized results in a number of areas designed to improve the glass industry:

• create a Glass Center of Excellence in northwest Ohio;
• commercialize alternative fuels and necessary infrastructure improvements;
• improve furnace efficiency and longevity;
• improve energy optimization and consistency using artificial intelligence and machine learning;
• make strength and weight improvements to glass products;
• improve the available glass recycling stream through improved processing; and
• develop industry talent by focusing on high school through doctorate level, keeping students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and providing opportunities for paid internships leading to employment.

“This innovation hub is just one step toward reestablishing the area as the premier source of innovation for the glass, solar and advanced manufacturing industries,” NOIC President Roger Smith says.

“State funding will accelerate our ability to solve industrywide challenges and drive innovation in priority areas like sustainability, cost, talent and product performance, which are business imperatives for the companies of northwest Ohio.”