Today in Akron, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland officially designated the city as a ‘Hub of Innovation and Opportunity,” as leaders announced a new headquarters for the ‘Austen BioInnovation Institute.

The two-year-old BioInnovation Institute will be moving into the first three floors of a county-owned building on the corner of Main Street and Perkins Avenue. The site will host a healthcare training facility offering patient-centered simulation programs.

The hub, which also will be located at the institute’s new facility, will be focused on biomaterials for orthopedics and wound healing

Dr. Frank Douglas, the institute’s president and CEO explained why the BioInnovation Institute’has moved to a new home. ‘We are creating more than just office space; we are building a 21st century hub allowing us to recruit great talent, and to provide an environment that will push discovery and commercialization forward.”

The institute, named for former Knight Board Chairman and trustee Dr. Gerald Austen, was originally launched in 2008’to encourage research in biomedical commercialization and improve prevention, treatment and disease management. The project, jump-started by a $20 million grant from Knight, will also help to secure the region’s economic future by creating jobs and attracting investment.