Akron's Polymer Industry Cluster announced five new projects funded by the Ohio Department of Development's Innovation Hub program Tuesday.
Founded in 2021, the Polymer Industry Cluster has worked to leverage the full potential of the region's polymer industry. It's received $31.25 million from the state's Innovation Hub program and $51 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to accelerate innovation and support new economic growth in the polymer industry.
Community members gathered Tuesday afternoon at Bounce Innovation Hub to see a showcase of the new projects. On top of the five new projects, eight companies have already received funding through the state's Innovation Hub program and are participating in Bounce's inaugural Synthe6 Materials Accelerator, a 12-month program for polymer and materials science startups, according to Bounce.
By 2031, the Polymer Industry Cluster expects to create 2,400 new jobs, generate $75 million in new research funding and bring in $43 million to Ohio's economy.
"We're also building a pilot facility that will allow these startups and companies to run some of the projects," Polymer Industry Cluster Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer Hans Dorfi said.
One business that's part of Synthe6 is Auxilium Health, which has designed a wound dressing that actively heals and prevents biofilms, bacteria that forms on tissue and stops healing, founder and CEO Isaiah Kaiser said.
"Our biomaterials not only mimic your natural extra cellular matrix but we actually stop these biofilms from forming altogether," he said, "and we do this while actively monitoring and regulating this tissue in your wound."
Kaiser is excited to take the next step and begin manufacturing the product, he said.
The support of the Polymer Industry Cluster and guidance and mentoring from Synthe6 is helping PolyKinetix's pilot line and first commercial scale plant come to fruition, founder and CEO Bill Ullom said. His company is developing a portable system to convert mixed plastics and old tires into usable fuels, he said.
"The PolyKinetix's zero process emission strategy sidesteps the myriad of environmental concerns plaguing the industry today, contributing to the global and Northeast Ohio's circular economies," he said.
Other grant recipients include ACE Innovations, which produces asphalt additives made from recycled materials, GelPure, which is developing a filter material that removes PFAS from drinking water, and Seauciel, which is developing a water based process to break down mixed plastics that are often hard to recycle.
The Polymer Industry Cluster has two different starting points for projects: startups that are in the Synthe6 Materials Accelerator and more established companies and universities, Dorfi said.
"In the end the goal is the same: create companies or create economic activity within an existing company to drive economic growth," he said.
