The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron is poised to become a global leader in biomaterials and medical research, education, clinical services and commercialization. Our goal is to expand Akron’s rich legacy in materials science, and to pioneer the next generation of life-enhancing and life-saving biomedical innovations for the 21st Century.

We are launching five major initiatives to realize our vision of global leadership in biomaterials by rapidly taking ideas from the lab through proof-of-concept demonstration to standard of medical care.

Innovative ideas will be generated in our Center for Biomaterials and Medicine; to be developed in our Medical Device Development Center; further tested in our Center for Clinical Trials; evaluated, refined and used in simulated settings in our Center for Health Care Training; and then applied to treat patients in real clinical practice through initiatives such as Community Outreach to the Medically Underserved:

  • Center for Biomaterials and Medicine will be a center of research excellence, with core strengths in biopolymers, orthopaedics and wound healing, that builds on the strengths of Akron’s 200+ researchers in orthopaedics and polymers.
  • Medical Device Development Center will provide a unique resource for companies and researchers to design, test, synthesize and manufacture new materials and healthcare applications of biomaterials.  The Center offers strong industry linkages with the 2,000+ polymer-related companies and 50+ orthopaedic device companies in the region.
  • Center for Clinical Trials will support the attraction, launch and administration of clinical trials, and promote collaboration among scientists and clinicians across institutions.
  • Center for Health Care Training will be a state-of-the-art facility for simulation-based education, training and research, facilitating the testing and evaluation of emerging technologies and devices for companies.
  • Community Outreach to the Medically Underserved (COMU) The COMU initiative is working to coordinate and accelerate regional efforts to provide access to healthcare and wellness programs to underserved populations.