Columbus2020!, Iosil Energy, MetaMateria Technologies, and EWI Receive Ohio Third Frontier Awards

The Ohio Department of Development announced this week the awarding of funds for two Central Ohio advanced materials companies and two key economic development initiatives.

Iosil Energy Corporation, located in the City of Groveport (Franklin County), in collaboration with the Edison Welding Institute, was awarded $925,500 for the commercialization of a new process for the production of low-cost, high-purity Polysilicon for solar cells. The project will further develop and scale up a process that could significantly reduce the cost of refining metallurgical grade silicon and waste "kerf" silicon into a higher purity silicon that is suitable for silicon solar cells. As part of this project, Iosil has committed to building a processing plant in Ohio.

MetaMateria Technologies, LLC, located in the TechColumbus incubator, in collaboration with Wright State University, Streamside Environmental LLC, PRD Tech, and Consolidated Treatment Systems, was awarded $999,998 for its project on  water purification using nano-enabled solutions. The project will further develop a novel, nano-modified water purification system that offers longer life and higher contaminant removal rates from freshwater bodies and water from waste treatment facilities.

These awards were made as part of the Third Frontier’s Fiscal Year 2011 Advanced Materials Program.

In addition, Columbus 2020! was awarded $2,256,579 to lead the JobsOhio Network in Central Ohio for year one of the program.  Columbus 2020! is one of six regional development organizations selected to administer and lead the state’s new jobs creation initiative.

And, as part of its Research and Development Center Attraction Program, the Third Frontier committed $3.1 million to the Edison Welding Institute in support of its proposal to establish a Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to develop, demonstrate, and transition leading-edge additive manufacturing technology to the industry. The Ohio Third Frontier commitment is contingent upon EWI's proposal to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) requesting $38 million to establish the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.