From Rust Belt to Innovation Belt

Youngstown and Northeast Ohio: A Region Built by Makers

Youngstown has always been a city of makers, and it remains the historic and metropolitan heart of a broader Northeast Ohio manufacturing ecosystem. From its proud steel legacy to its role as home to America Makes, the nation’s first Manufacturing USA institute, Youngstown continues to stand at the forefront of American manufacturing innovation. That legacy is why the Hub is named for and headquartered in Youngstown.

For more than a century, the Mahoning Valley has been synonymous with industrial strength and ingenuity. In the early 20th century, Youngstown ranked second only to Pittsburgh in steel production, fueled by companies such as Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel. Strategic infrastructure, including canals and railroads, positioned the region as a national center for heavy industry and established a deep-rooted culture of craftsmanship, engineering, and innovation.

Twilight view of downtown Youngstown, Ohio, with city buildings illuminated and light trails crossing a bridge leading into the urban core.

Today, that legacy extends across the four counties of the Lake-to-River region and throughout Northeast Ohio. Youngstown serves as the metropolitan anchor, while the surrounding region contributes deep manufacturing capacity, skilled talent, and technical expertise. Together, this interconnected ecosystem continues to serve as a proving ground for next-generation technologies shaping the future of American manufacturing.

Watch: Manufacturing History of the Mahoning Valley

Driving America’s Manufacturing Future

Following the industrial downturn of the 1970s, Youngstown began to reinvent itself. The launch of America Makes in 2012 marked a new chapter — one defined by collaboration among government, industry, and academia to advance additive manufacturing (3D printing), research, workforce development, and commercialization.

Today, that same spirit of transformation drives the Hub, a collaborative center uniting industry, education, and research. Together, partners such as America Makes, YBI, and Youngstown State University are accelerating technology development, working in collaboration with business and economic development organizations to grow the regional manufacturing economy, and collectively shaping the future of advanced manufacturing across Ohio and beyond.

The Innovation Hub formalizes this evolution by advancing innovation and opportunity across four key areas.

Manufacturing-Ready Sites

Creating manufacturing-ready space where companies can scale advanced and additive manufacturing operations and bring technology to market faster.

Entrepreneurship & Commercialization

Empowering manufacturers to turn ideas into market-ready products, accelerating time to commercialization, and driving growth through new partnerships.

Connected
Network

Building a connected industrial network that links regional assets, partners, and manufacturers to accelerate product development and innovation.

Workforce
Pathways

Providing direct pathways for students and workers into well-paying manufacturing careers through training and education.

These initiatives strengthen U.S. supply chains, support aerospace and defense manufacturing, and expand career opportunities to grow the region’s advanced manufacturing workforce.

WHAT THE APPROACH MAKES POSSIBLE