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.
Click here for a list of our Research Teams.
OHIO’S LEADERSHIP IN BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH
Akron is located in one of the leading bioscience states in the nation — and in a region devoted to cutting-edge biomedicine:
- Business Facilities magazine ranked Ohio fourth in the nation in biotechnology strength.
- R&D Magazine annually rates the top 100 technological innovations made in the United States, and Ohio can boast of 10 of those 100, more than any other state except California.
- In AdvaMed’s State Impact of Medical Technology Industry Report, Ohio ranks 10th in the number of medical device employees.
- Ohio remains among the national leaders in most “Best Hospitals” as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, and in the quality and quantity of clinical research and trials.
Northeast Ohio is an especially fertile ground for biomedical research, receiving more than $450 million last year in federal and industry awards. Ohio’s Third Frontier Program has provided more than $200 million in additional funding to start new centers of excellence in areas such as regenerative medicine, cardiovascular innovation, neurostimulation and medical imaging.
All together, the region’s institutions conduct $500 million annually in health care research. Due in no small part to the research and clinical strengths, and a broad existing biomedical industry, Northeast Ohio has become a major center of healthcare innovation and commercialization.
AKRON’S VISION OF LEADERSHIP IN BIOMATERIALS
Our vision of leadership in the biomaterials field is an attainable goal given the historic advances in Akron’s intellectual property, research, educational, healthcare and commercialization strengths.
Click here to learn more about the central role that Akron has played in the history of biomedical innovation.
The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron is creating a center of research excellence with core strengths in biopolymers, orthopaedics and wound healing. The Center for Biomaterials and Medicine (CBMM) will leverage world-class polymer science and engineering into high-value clinical applications aimed at accelerating biomedical innovation.
CBMM will span the full R&D continuum composed of basic sciences, translational and preclinical research, clinical research and commercialization. The Center will capitalize on Northeast Ohio’s rich 100-year history in polymer science and engineering, including extended R&D capabilities, a highly educated workforce, and knowledgeable capital sources.
In fact, Akron is already developing early-stage companies and clinical centers with a key emphasis on orthopaedics. The region boasts more than 200 researchers in orthopaedics and polymers, and more than 50 companies are directly linked with the orthopaedic device industry.
CBMM is recruiting 40 additional researchers and their lab teams in the following focus areas:
- Biomaterials for orthopaedic and wound care applications;
- Polymers as coatings for implanted medical devices; and
- Polymers combined with growth factors and/or seeded with cells for tissue generation and repair.
