Contacts:
Ron Kirksey, Kent State, 330-672-8535
Kelly Coolbaugh, NorTech, 216-241-8458

Kent State University Centennial Research Park

Q. What space is available for the Centennial Research Park?
A.  Available space includes a converted 44,000-square-foot building and 10 surrounding undeveloped acres. The Fiala Building, located east of the Kent Campus on State Route 59, formerly housed the nation’s largest student-run campus bus system.

Q. How will the research park be funded?
A. Kent Displays, a local liquid crystal display manufacturer, was awarded $7.9 million in Ohio Third Frontier funding to commercialize research, including more than $900,000 to construct and establish the FLEXMatters Accelerator, the research park’s anchor tenant. In addition, $500,000 is available in funds recovered from the bus service and is to be used for planning and preparation of the site for future tenants.

Q. What is the benefit of the Kent State location?
A. The proximity to the Kent Campus can provide tenants with student and faculty research, collaboration and interns from Kent State’s Liquid Crystal Institute and numerous other fields; commercialization opportunities and contacts through the university’s Office of Technology Transfer and Division of Regional Development; business knowledge through the university’s entrepreneurship programs; and small business and minority business development.

Q. What are future plans for the Centennial Research Park?
A. The FLEXMatters Accelerator is the first step and a model for future tenants. The concept is to bring together collaborations, commercialize research taking place in Northeast Ohio and cluster emerging industries in this region to provide jobs and development.

FLEXMatters Accelerator

Q. How is FLEXMatters different from any other start-up business?
A. FLEXMatters is a broad regional collaboration that grew from a partnership between Kent State and NorTech, a technology-based economic development organization. FLEXMatters will capitalize two regional strengths found nowhere else in the world – liquid crystal research at Kent State and polymer research at the University of Akron. Combining these global research and development strengths by partnering with private companies will produce the next generation of liquid crystal-based flexible displays, which have myriad commercial applications. In addition, there already are local companies that have been created by spinning off university research. Kent Displays and AlphaMicron – both Kent State spin offs – and Akron Polymer Systems – a UA spin off – are part of FLEXMatters, as is Sheldahl, which will work with these companies.  FLEXMatters also expects to continue to support other regional liquid crystal companies such as Hana Microdisplays, LXD, COADNA, AlphaMirror and others.

Q. Why “accelerator” and not incubator?
A. Centennial Research Park and FLEXMatters will bring together researchers from universities and manufacturers from new and existing companies to “accelerate” the region’s ability to advance commercial discoveries.

Q. What is the likely economic impact of this effort?
A. Unlimited. This is the threshold of a new global industry, and major companies worldwide are investing in ways to mass-produce flexible optical and electronic devices. Ohio’s second-largest industry is polymers, and Northeast Ohio companies – building on Kent State liquid crystal research – are pioneering flexible display technology and are the first to commercialize these products. FLEXMatters, working through the Centennial Research Park, is designed to ensure the emerging industry remains in Ohio.

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