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War struck home in 2005 when word reached the families of 23 Ohioans from Columbus-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines that their loved ones had been killed in action in Iraq. Many others had been seriously injured - all in just two horrible incidents.

Protecting our servicemen and women, outfitting them with the best possible equipment, and developing ways to improve their survivability and quality of life if wounded are goals that are universally accepted as a high priority for research, and are a prominent theme within Ohio Third Frontier. New technologies that protect our service members also result in good jobs for Ohioans who make next-generation intelligence gathering sensors and medical devices, helping our brave young men and
women avoid injury first and live stronger and better lives in the event that they do need to heal when they come home.

Ohio Third Frontier funds research that will greatly reduce casualties of war by improving the intelligence and data gathering capabilities of today's military and first responder communities. The University of Dayton Research Institute and its industrial research partners at the Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST) are developing the world's most sophisticated remote sensing systems.

Used for intelligence surveillance, the layered sensing systems being developed will ensure that American soldiers have the best possible information about combatant movements and capabilities regardless of weather conditions, camouflage, or location.

Capturing and combining information from a variety of sophisticated sensor systems provides a superior overall intelligence picture compared to dependence on just one sensor system. Sophisticated cameras operating at different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, electronic signature recognition, data integration software, and advanced visualization are all under development by Ohio Third Frontier partners.

Other types of sensors being developed by Ohio Third Frontier partners include pathogen detections systems to protect the military from chemical and biologic threats and biometric systems for facial and real-time fingerprint recognition that will help guard against terrorism. Research and development projects being conducted by IDCAST and its partners support the needs of the Air Force Research Laboratory and its Sensor Directorate, centered at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base. Companies throughout Ohio are partnering to provide the devices and equipment needed by the military, including well-established companies such as L3 Communications and Woolpert Associates, to new start-up companies such as Photon-X.

Power supplies are also crucial in a combat environment. To take advantage of the newest intelligence gathering technologies, the military and other first responders require assured power supplies. Today's soldier must carry up to 15 pounds of batteries for a week-long mission and the demand for personal electronic devices and electrical power is still growing. One promising technology to reduce weight and ensure reliable power are portable fuel cells operating from small replaceable canisters that are the hydrogen source to run the cells. UltraCell of Dayton is an Ohio Third Frontier funding recipient, conducting research and scale-up manufacturing here in Ohio.

Similarly, larger scale fuel cells to power mobile data centers in battlefield conditions, as well as those necessary to power tanks and other vehicles, are being developed with Ohio Third Frontier funding. The benefits of mobile fuel cells are many, including the ability to provide power without the heat signature that conventional diesel generators emit, making safer technology for soldiers operating in "stealth" modes.

Unfortunately, as proven by the tragedy of Lima Company, servicemen and women are injured in the line of duty even with the best equipment and intelligence gathering. Ohio Third Frontier is funding pioneering work to provide better medical care and more quickly and fully restore injured service members to productive and fulfilling lives. Anchored by Ohio Third Frontier investments at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, Ohio now proudly operates two major federal research centers that are focused on improving health care for wounded soldiers - the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the Veteran Administrations Center for Functional Electric Stimulation.

The Regenerative Medicine Center's mission is to accelerate the development of new technologies focused on the regeneration of bone, muscle, tendon, nerve, and blood vessels damaged by combat injuries. Adult stem-cell research enables scientists at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve to provide advanced therapies that alleviate suffering, accelerate healing, and improve therapeutic success in treating trauma victims. The Functional Electric Stimulation Center at the Cleveland Veteran Administrations Hospital is developing a family of technologies that use external electrical stimulation to activate muscles, causing them to contract and relax, thereby gaining functionality. Ohio Third Frontier grants have gone to companies such as Ohio Willow Wood to develop high-tech prosthetics that use advanced materials to greatly improve mobility, to Arteriocyte to develop artificial blood, and to the University of Akron for advancements in burn and wound healing.

Ohio has an established tradition of military support. From Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to NASA Lewis Research Center to General Electric Aviation, Ohio is at the forefront of research, development, and commercialization of technologies that enhance the capability, effectiveness, and safety of Americans. Ohio Third Frontier is proud to contribute to the technologies that help keep our soldiers safe, as well as aid in commercializing the technologies that create good jobs for Ohioans.