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Western Region
A spirit of innovation, sparked by the Wright Brothers a century ago, continues to create scientific advances, fuel startups and contribute to a strong tech sector in Ohio’s western region.
The 14-county western region includes:
- 1.9 million residents
- 920,000 workers
- $40.5 billion economy (three of 12 counties)
- Dayton, Springfield and neighboring cities
Major industries:
- Aerospace/defense
- Advanced materials and manufacturing
- IT and advanced data management
- Biosciences
- Logistics and distribution
Highlights/trends:
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is the largest single-site employer in Ohio, encompassing 27,000 employees and pumping $5 billion into the local economy.
- The region ranks first for Department of Defense procurement contract awards, totaling $1 billion in 2015. The federal presence directly and indirectly supports one of every 11 jobs in the region.
- With more than 13,000 employees at nearly 600 IT and services firms, the region has the highest concentration of IT professionals in Ohio. Nationally, it ranks fourth for engineers per capita and fifth for STEM leaders. Its companies are specialists in data set modeling and simulation technologies used in advanced manufacturing, as well as big data and predictive analytics.
- The region is a growing center for cybersecurity research, education and systems. Four area institutions are designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, and WPAFB is a leader in the development of cyber-resilient networks for military and commercial applications.
- The region is a leading site for unmanned aerial systems technology, as well as intelligent autonomous systems to improve the performance of human operators.
- With 2,500 manufacturers, the region ranks fourth in the country as a tooling, machining and manufacturing innovation hub.
For more information, visit the Dayton Development Coalition.