Workforce and Education

top research institutions in the columbus region

The Ohio State University

Ohio State ranks second among all U.S. universities in industry-sponsored research, according to the National Science Foundation, with leading research programs in chemical engineering (ranked Number 1 nationally), material sciences (ranked Number 3 nationally) and mathematics (Ranked Number 6 nationally). Nearly $750 million is spent annually for federally and privately sponsored research at Ohio State.

Major Research Institutions

The Columbus Region is home to Battelle Memorial Institute and Chemical Abstracts Service, two of the world’s leading private-research institutions.

Battelle Memorial Institute
Top Research Institutions
  • The world’s largest contract research and development organization, dedicated to scientific, educational, technology, and community endeavors and investments.
  • 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide.
  • Operates seven national laboratories for the U.S. government, managing two-thirds of the nation’s energy research.
  • Annual research budget of more than $5 billion.
  • Won more R&D 100 awards than any other organization in the country, except General Electric. In 2010 alone, Battelle Memorial Institute added 24 R&D 100 awards, increasing the all-time total to 241.
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)
  • A division of the American Chemical Society, CAS is the world’s largest and most current comprehensive source for chemical and scientific information.
  • CAS monitors, indexes, and abstracts the world's chemistry-related literature and patents, updates this information daily, and makes it accessible through technologically advanced information services.
  • Adds more than 3,000 records each day to the CAS database, currently totaling over 33 million.
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)
  • The world’s largest library cooperative, with a mission to further access to the world’s information by reducing costs and improving services through shared, online cataloging.
  • A worldwide organization, OCLC membership comprises 27,000 libraries, archives, and museums in 171 countries.

Financial and Technical Resources

A large, educated workforce, combined with superior research capabilities and a strong corporate foundation has allowed the Columbus region to become one of the fastest growing innovation and technology hubs in North America. Organizations like TechColumbus have recently helped Columbus achieve its position as the “Number 1 up-and-coming tech city in the United States,” according to Forbes.

TechColumbus
  • A world-class technology incubator that provides funding, guidance, and other resources to create new companies and strengthen existing businesses.
  • A catalyst for technology-driven economic development in the Columbus region, TechColumbus helps to connect the region’s technology assets.
  • TechColumbus membership includes more than 700 tech-based and tech-enabled businesses in the region, representing over 175,000 employees.
Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC)
  • OSC provides a reliable, high-performance computing and communications infrastructure for a diverse statewide/regional community, including education, academic research, industry, and state government.
  • With more than two decades of innovation and service, OSC is a fully scalable center with mid-range machines to match those found at NSF centers and labs across the nation.
Science and Technology Campus Corporation (SciTech)
  • A state-of-the-art research park located on The Ohio State University campus links world-class academic technical expertise with cutting-edge, commercial, technology-based innovation.
  • SciTech consists of almost 500,000 square feet of office, laboratory, manufacturing, and warehouse space that provides research and development opportunities for both new and existing high-technology companies in the region.
  • At its completion, SciTech will contain more than one million square feet of floor space for an estimated 2,000 on-site workers.
Ohio TechAngels

Provides investment capital for commercialization of innovations in information technology, advanced materials, and medical technology.

Edison Technology Centers

The Columbus Region contains three of Ohio’s seven Edison Technology Centers, which provide product and process innovation and commercialization services to both established and early-stage technology-based businesses:

  • BioOhio: Statewide center focused on promoting the bio-life sciences industry in Ohio, including pharmaceutical and medical device development. Principal efforts are in assisting small- to medium-sized entrepreneurial organizations develop and commercialize bio-life sciences technology.
  • Edison Welding Institute (EWI): An internationally recognized membership-based organization that is focused on materials-joining technology. EWI conducts research and development for both industry and government.
  • PolymerOhio: Networking group committed to the global competitiveness and growth of Ohio's polymer industry. Members include Ohio polymer companies, leading polymer academic agencies, and service providers.

Contact the Columbus Region to learn more
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