Cluster Strategy

Strong and competitive technology-based business clusters are a critical component of a good business environment and are the driving force behind regional innovation and productivity. To achieve and sustain a competitive advantage, the Aerospace Hub and the Dayton region have crafted a distinctive clustering approach based on unique competencies, assets, and relative strengths valued in the global marketplace.

Ohio Aerospace Hub Clusters:

  • Sensors
  • Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
  • Data Management
  • Human Factors
  • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
  • Cyber Security

Sensors Cluster

Ohio’s Aerospace Hub leverages over $55 million of investment made by the State of Ohio in sensor technology to establish a world-leading center of excellence in advanced sensing technology. With world-class test beds in IR, RF, EO, Terahertz, and LADAR sensing coupled with the 12 endowed chairs in Layered Sensing, the Ohio Aerospace Hub in Dayton is without equal.

Accomplishing this work is world-class faculty of the University of Dayton coupled with more than 30 professional and technical staff at the University of Dayton Research Institute, visiting faculty from 8 Ohio universities, numerous small companies, and the Air Force Research Libratory (AFRL) Sensors Directorate. The AFRL Sensors Directorate is focused on remote sensing and chemical/biological agent sensing.

Leading the Hub’s sensor effort is The Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST).  The University of Dayton has devoted over 35,000 sq/ft of lab facilities to IDCAST activities in the Hub.  Offering entrepreneurs secure incubator space for their technology development in immediate proximity to Ohio’s best sensors researchers has yielded tremendous results in the commercialization of new technologies, job creation and the attraction of additional research funding.

Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Cluster

The Ohio Aerospace Hub and the surrounding region are rich in resources to grow and sustain companies focused on aerospace materials. The University of Dayton, its Research Institute, Southwest Ohio’s aerospace materials companies and AFRL provide an unparalleled geographically competitive advantage for the Dayton region to achieve greater leadership in aerospace materials technology.

The University of Dayton (UD) is ranked number two in the nation among all universities for its volume of sponsored research in materials. Much of UD’s research in advanced materials is in collaboration with the Materials & Manufacturing Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the premier DOD lab for materials research and development.

The University has devoted over 31,000 sq/ft of lab facilities on campus to materials R&D. These state-of-the-art facilities support both fundamental (over 10,000 sq/ft) and applied (over 20,000 sq/ft) research. UD also maintains over 25,000 sq/ft of lab space for process scale-up, feasibility demonstrations and product development at the National Composite Center, a short distance from campus and the Hub. UDRI, through numerous Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with the US Air Force, can provide access to additional, world-class facilities within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials Directorate.

Other Clusters

Data Management – Processing and analyzing sensor data is as important as collecting data from sensors.  The Hub has strengths in data management at the University of Dayton Research Institute and through private industry.

Human Factors – A closely related field to the sensor industry, human factors is another strong cluster of the Hub.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) – The Hub is home to the world’s only RFID incubator in the Dayton RFID Convergence Center (DRCC).  The DRCC provides business acceleration and intelligence to entrepreneurs and early stage companies in the RFID industry.