Ohio University helping lead state’s innovation surge as a founding partner of the Ohio Innovation Exchange

The Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx) is an industry-sought, higher education-driven, and state government-sponsored initiative of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) providing searchable access to university expertise, research services, and shareable resources from a growing list of research-active universities across the state. Viewed as a public good, OIEx is an early-stage resource discovery tool, industries seeking expertise have the ability to browse that state’s innovation marketplace and discover what is possible.

Ohio University, a founding university partner in the statewide initiative, is helping to advance the state’s business and industry research capabilities while playing a crucial role in driving economic vitality and technological advancement across Ohio.

“Ohio University's continued involvement in the Ohio Innovation Exchange highlights not only its robust research infrastructure but also its ongoing dedication to driving economic growth and technological advancement through strategic academic-industry partnerships,” said Timothy Cain, project director of OIEx and associate professor in biomedical sciences at Ohio University.

Partnering to create innovation outcomes

Since 2020, OHIO has secured over $1M in three successive rounds of Ohio Third Frontier Research Incentive funding leading the multi-university team of professionals guiding feature enhancements, cultivating broad industry awareness, and expanding the initiative to now include ten featured Ohio universities, according to Cain, who serves as principal investigator.

Providing access to nearly 12,000 STEM-focused faculty and 2,350 research support resources, the platform derives its powerful search functionality from the 500,000 bibliographic citations and abstracts mined and associated with profiled users. OIEx now makes it easier for industries to find relevant expertise, potential collaborators and licensable innovations.

"The recent designation of OHIO as an R1 university (Carnegie Classification denoting Very High Research Activity), is a meaningful recognition of our discovery ecosystem – our people, resources, and commitment to innovation," said Dr. Eric Muth, OHIO's vice president for research and creative activity. "The State’s investment in OIEx is helping connect industry to our university innovators and our peers across Ohio will have a greater economic impact than any individual institution could have alone. I am pleased that OHIO has played such an important leadership role in this statewide collaboration.” 

Solving real-world problems – together

Stacy Strauss, director of the OHIO Innovation Center noted that OIEx partnerships often start with information about potential collaborators that OIEx provides and are a testament to both the University's robust ecosystem of innovation and its critical role in solving real-world problems.

“My team frequently uses the Ohio Innovation Exchange to source research partners and other resources on behalf of our tech startup clients,” Strauss said. “Having a robust platform at the ready is critical to ensure that we – and, by extension, our clients – have a source for connections that benefit commercialization.” 

In addition to OIEx, OHIO’s involvement in the Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF) further amplifies its impact on the state’s economy. The OIF connects capital and expertise to emerging companies in Ohio, fostering a vibrant environment for startups and innovation.

As a founding investor, Ohio University has helped facilitate the growth of businesses that contribute to over $10 billion in market value and serve a diverse range of industries and institutions.

About the Ohio Innovation Exchange

The Ohio Innovation Exchange was developed with the support of the Ohio Manufacturing Institute, the research technology company Digital Science, and the Ohio Technology Consortium – an operational extension of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. These partners ensure that the platform effectively meets the needs of both academic institutions and industry partners.

Profiled OHIO faculty can read more about the statewide initiative and how to access and update their OIEx profile.

As OIEx continues to expand, it aims to include more institutions, thereby enhancing its capacity to drive economic growth and innovation across Ohio.