In the coming weeks, representatives from the National Science Foundation will descend on Northeast Ohio to decide if the region, including Akron, should receive up to $160 million in grants over a decade. The money could further jumpstart efforts to make the area a hub for advanced manufacturing — including polymers.
The region is one of 15 finalists for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines grant, and local leaders are optimistic that their work over the past three years will pay off.
It’s what’s already been done in Akron — where the Polymer Industry Cluster has received more than $100 million in state and federal investment alone — that can help lay the groundwork for the rest of the region. If successful, the efforts will bring in more money to fund innovation in polymers, metals and chemicals and coatings…