Akron mayor: 'Our Rubber City heritage and legacy' laid foundation for $51M investment

A $51 million federal investment into Greater Akron’s Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub has elected officials and business professionals excited.

The funding from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration will support sustainability efforts in the region’s polymer industry, which includes economic movers and shakers like the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Bridgestone and Continental.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said he’s been waiting his whole life to see an investment like this.

"So much of the foundation for this grant today and this recognition and investment by the federal government comes from our Rubber City heritage and legacy," he said.

“I’m so confident that doing this together, we can make good use of these federal dollars, leverage private investment and build really our city and our region's future and economy, starting here, looking at other funding that we can layer on top of it,” Malik said.

Here are some key points that were addressed by stakeholders on a Tuesday call with reporters:

Who will see new job opportunities?

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, noted that rubber has traditionally been made from trees in Southeast Asia but that polymer research in Ohio “means the next generation of polymers can be made entirely in America, in Ohio.”

“It's going to create good-paying jobs where Ohioans can build a life and see a future in their home state,” he said.

Over a 10-year period, more than 4,000 jobs will be created or retained, said Brian Anderson, vice president of the Polymer Industry Cluster at the Greater Akron Chamber. The cluster is a consortium of private and public partners that share ideas to drive innovation in the polymer industry.

Anderson said the workforce development project focuses on “the sustainability workforce of the future” and that “it emphasizes opportunities all the way from entry-level and certificate programs all the way up to Ph.D.s.”

How will the University of Akron benefit from the federal funding?

At the University of Akron, Dr. Suzanne B Bausch, vice president of research and business engagement and president of the UA Research Foundation, said via email that the university will use EDA funding to initiate:

• New courses in sustainability and incorporate sustainability programming into existing courses across multiple educational levels and concentrations, including experiential learning opportunities.
• A certificate and credential program in life cycle assessment in partnership with Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, Stark State College and Central State University.
• Funding for K-12 summer camps, ZipAssist funding and tuition incentives.

Will companies, workers and students outside of Greater Akron benefit?

The Akron metropolitan area, which includes Summit and Portage counties, is designated the Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub, but Anderson noted that universities outside of those counties, such as Case Western and Central State, are also directly involved.

Brown said surrounding higher-education institutions such as Hiram College, the University of Mount Union, Cuyahoga Community College and the College of Wooster will see positive impacts from the funding too.

On the for-profit side, Akron chamber President and CEO Steve Millard said: “We've got about 500 companies or so in the polymer manufacturing segment in Northeast Ohio, and all of them from across the region, we think, will benefit from this work.”

What type of innovation will we see?

Anderson said work on polymers stemming from the funding will include “developing new, high-performance materials with less environmental impacts and also improving recycling and other end-of-life outcomes to unlock the potential of the circular economy.”

An Akron chamber press release stated key projects funded by the federal grant will these five areas:

• Commercializing recycling end-of-life tires.
• The development of sustainable polymer composites via liquid phase mixing.
• Manufacturing of sustainable bio-based butadiene for green synthetic rubber.
• Advancing formulation of carbon nanotube-based polymer composites.
• The development of safer anti-degradents for tires and plastics.

Is this a bipartisan effort?

Yes. Millard said the initiative is supported by U.S. congressional Democrats representing Ohio such as Brown, U.S. Reps. Emilia Sykes and Joyce Beatty, as well as multiple Republicans: Sen. J.D. Vance and Reps. Dave Joyce, Max Miller, Mike Carey and Michael Rulli. Support also comes from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration and a bipartisan group of more than 20 elected state officials.

Are companies outside of Greater Akron interested in doing business here?

Yes. Millard said companies that aren't from Northeast Ohio or Ohio generally are interested in participating in work with the Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub.

He said he anticipates “a stronger coalescence of companies wanting to be in this region because they'll be connected to the kind of research, development and advances that they need to see happen in the sustainability space.

"I think this becomes a place where people want to be, because they're going to be at the center of some of these really important activities.”

Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron mayor: 'Our Rubber City heritage and legacy' laid foundation for $51M investment