A new Ohio initiative will see the development of an aerospace hub in the state designed to assist manufacturers become qualified aerospace suppliers.
The Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, part of the Ohio Development Services Agency, has pledged a three-year, $1.5m commitment to the Materials and Manufacturing Aerospace Technology Hub (MMATH).
The new hub, which will be run in conjunction with Airbus and the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), will ‘support Ohio businesses that have the desire and potential to become qualified aerospace suppliers’.
“Aerospace suppliers must meet a rigorous set of criteria to make sure their operations, equipment and products meet strict safety and delivery standards,” said John Leland, Interim Vice President for Research at the University of Dayton and Director of UDRI. “This funding will allow us to identify and work with Ohio businesses to make them more competitive within the aerospace industry.”
According to the VP of procurement at Airbus Americas, David Williams, the French-based company wants to increase its supply base in the US and the company hopes that MMATH will assist it to achieve this goal.
“Airbus products have always been leading edge in respect to product and process technology, and we are determined to keep that competitive edge,” Williams said. “MMATH and the world-class Ohio aerospace supply base will enable us to maintain our number one position in the market through the state-of-the-art manufacturing processes that will be developed here.”
Airbus purchased $14.4bn in aircraft-related products and services in the US in 2013, $6bn in Ohio alone, said Williams.
Glenn Richardson from JobsOhio, which helped find funding for the program, said MMATH would help Ohio maintain its aerospace leadership.
“Ohio is the birthplace of aviation and a global leader in the aerospace industry,” Richardson said. “This new program under our MEP network will allow Airbus to maintain its competitive edge and will help our world-class supplier base grow and innovate well into the future.”
