Turner supports DOD’s selection of Ohio for defense innovation hub

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) praised the Department of Defense’s announcement that his home state of Ohio was selected to host a defense innovation hub called the Ohio Mission Acceleration Center.

Ohio was selected as one of five states to host a hub, and the Ohio Mission Acceleration Center headquartered in Dayton will receive $1.9 million in defense funds. The new hub aims to advance the development of new defense technologies to strengthen national security while also supporting Ohio’s small businesses that operate in the tech space but face challenges working with the Defense Department. 

Rep. Turner, who serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said the Mission Acceleration Center was great news for Southwest Ohio and U.S. national security. 

The congressman recently supported funding for the DOD’s Mission Acceleration Program. The House of Representatives’ version of the fiscal year 2024 defense spending bill currently contains $65 million for the Mission Acceleration Program, which Rep. Turner had advocated for.

“The center will bolster the innovation ecosystem around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is critical to Ohio’s growing defense economy,” Rep. Turner said. “These technologies can be transitioned to weapons systems that give our men and women in uniform the tools they need to be successful against our adversaries.” 

Rep. Turner, along with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), announced the Ohio investment on Oct. 18 with Michael Gessel, vice president of Federal Government Programs at the Dayton Development Coalition.

Ohio’s Mission Acceleration Center will bring together startups, academia, industry, local and federal partners, and other stakeholders to promote innovation and connect them directly to Department of Defense needs, the congressman’s office said.

“We worked together to bring this regional hub to Ohio to create new opportunities for Ohio businesses and workers and to continue to cement our state’s leadership in defense, manufacturing, and aerospace,” Sen. Brown said.