​Why Ohio?

Ohio has a rich history of aviation going back to the days when the Wright Brothers first pioneered flight in 1903. Today, Ohio remains a national leader in innovative flight research through the aggressive promotion and utilization of unmanned aircraft to improve business operations and quality of life. Ohio is just a one-day drive from more than 60 percent of the U.S. and Canadian populations making it a great location for fostering innovative air and autonomous technologies.

For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAS operations, and Advanced Air Mobility, no other state can match the resources and infrastructure available in Ohio. 

Research and Development

With $12 billion in R&D investments, Ohio is home to hundreds of organizations dedicated to advancing aerospace and aviation breakthroughs. Strong collaboration between government, academic, military, and industry organizations provides a proving ground for the development and commercialization of new aviation technologies. 

The State of Ohio continues to invest in research focused on improving the lives of Ohioans and visitors through the use of unmanned aircraft systems and autonomous aviation technologies. The Ohio Department of Transportation's Ohio UAS Center has been at the forefront of UAS integration within state agency operations through innovative research validating the technologies capabilities to safely and efficiently obtain critical data. Additionally, the Ohio UAS Center is dedicated to introducing new modes of transportation into Ohio's Airspace. Active research initiatives like the Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) project with the Ohio State University, seek to address the issue of managing the integration of new aviation technologies safely with general aviation. 

Test Infrastructure

Ohio has all the right resources to develop and test UAS technologies. A broad range of state-of-the-art research and laboratory capabilities allow for an unprecedented range of testing opportunities in dedicated environments. Test ranges and related sensor environments are available to allow effective flight tests supporting research and certification efforts.

Colleges and Universities

Ohio is home to seven colleges and universities conducting UAS research and training the next generation in detect-and-avoid technology solutions, systems payloads, components and other applications

Expertise and Workforce

With Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and NASA Plum Brook near Sandusky, the state is at the top of the list for aviation specialists in the nation. In addition, the State of Ohio already has approximately 1200 aerospace companies making Ohio a great place to attract UAS companies to develop, test and deploy their technology companies.