Youngstown Innovation Hub Announces Awardees of IP Generation & Technology Development Project Call

YOUNGSTOWN, OH — The Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense, in collaboration with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), proudly announces the awardees selected from White Papers submitted in response to the IP Generation & Technology Development project call.The project aims to advance the development and commercialization of innovative technologies for aerospace and defense manufacturing within Northeast Ohio, with special consideration for the Lake to River region encompassing Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties.

Funded through the Youngstown Innovation Hub, the project call offers approximately $500K to support regional innovation, accelerate the transition of emerging technologies to market-ready solutions, and foster collaboration among industry, academia, and government stakeholders. It specifically targets the persistent manufacturing gap in U.S. manufacturing, where promising technologies often fail to reach production readiness.

“This project call will ultimately accelerate the deployment of bold intellectual property into mission-ready aerospace and defense solutions, directly advancing our region’s industrial capabilities and national security posture,” stated Megan Malara, Ph.D., Director of the Innovation Hub. “By championing innovative solutions to meet critical technology needs, the winners are driving commercialization and bridging the manufacturing gap while creating enduring impact for Northeast Ohio and the broader defense industrial base.”

The selected White Papers demonstrate viable technical approaches to advancing critical technology development, commercialization and market transition, while strengthening the regional innovation industrial base.

The following awardees were chosen through the IP Generation & Technology Development down-selection process, along with their respective topics:

• Agilis Air, Inc.: Demonstrate an Advanced Digital Data Package for sUAS Manufacturing 
• Engineered Products, Inc.: Nexus Mobile for Anti-Counterfeit Drone Integration 
• Immobileyes: Smart Tracking & Optical Response Mitigation – Counter-Drone System 
• JuggerBot 3D: Tamper-Assisted Fused Granulate Fabrication Systems for Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing 
• LeapFast Manufacturing: Additive Non-Melting Creation for High-Order Resilience (ANCHOR)  

This effort advances a broader initiative to engage additional industry partners capable of delivering mission‑ready, cutting‑edge manufacturing technologies that fortify the defense industrial base and accelerate critical capabilities to the warfighter.