MTSI Supports DDC’s AAM Industry Defense Forum

MTSI Supports DDC’s AAM Industry Defense Forum

September 6, 2022

Sixteen MTSI Dayton employees supported the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) in hosting the National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Industry Defense Forum in Springfield, Ohio. Day one consisted of vendor exhibits and panels at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center at Clark State College. Speakers included Jeff Hoagland, President and CEO of the DDC; JP Nauseef, President and CEO of JobsOhio; Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Department of Development within the Office of Governor Mike DeWine; and Colonel (ret) Joe Zeis, Aerospace and Defense Advisor to Governor DeWine. That evening held a reception featuring remarks from Air Force Research Laboratory Commander Major General Heather Pringle. MTSI volunteers served as ushers and coordinators for event registrants.

Day two’s events took place at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Here, the DDC featured static displays of aircraft, simulator availability, panels of experts from AFRL, NASA, the FAA, JobsOhio, and various private industry companies. The main event occurred when various state and local representatives gathered to break ground on a new facility: the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence. Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck led the ceremony, and several government officials and local leaders made comments: Springfield City Commissioner David Estrop, US Rep Mike Turner, US Rep Warren Davidson, US Rep Mike Carey, Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett, Ohio State Rep Kyle Koehler, Clark County Commissioner Melanie Wilt, and Greater Springfield Partnership President and CEO Mike McDorman.

“Springfield is at the cutting edge of a technology that is going to lead us into the future,” said Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck. “So many partnerships have formed around this project. A lot of work is still left to be done, but this just the beginning, and it’s all because of this community leading the way, working together to make this the best place to live, work, and play.” This facility, the first of its kind, will be the hub for AAM activity in the nation and house state-of-the-art collaboration space—30,000 square feet of office space and 25,000 square feet of hangar space on 4.5 acres—to support the advancement of the third revolution in aerospace. The US Department of Defense pledged $6M in grant funding, accompanied by $2.9M in grant funding from JobsOhio. In combination with the $450k contribution from the City of Springfield, the center represents $9.35M of federal and local project investment. Utilizing the space will be a variety of players in the AAM industry, including Wright-Patterson AFB, AFRL, NASA, the Ohio UAS Center, colleges and universities, research institutions, and private industry and commercial partners.