WARREN — A two-hour session at BRITE Energy Innovators drew startup founders, small manufacturers and regional partners to learn about a $26 million state-backed program that officials say positions the Mahoning Valley to become a national leader in advanced manufacturing for defense and aerospace supply chains.

The program, Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense, aims to meet that goal by connecting small and mid-sized manufacturers to low-cost factory space, nondilutive grants, workforce training and direct access to government and prime contractor opportunities.

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin, Youngstown Business Incubator CEO Barb Ewing, and Hub Director Megan Malara, along with representatives from Lake to River, Youngstown State University, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and Parallax Advanced Research led the Wednesday afternoon presentations.

Franklin stressed the regional reach across not just Mahoning and Trumbull counties, but extending to Ashtabula and Columbiana counties. The mayor also pointed to Warren’s own momentum as he touted the city having 260 acres ready for development, which is the result of infrastructure upgrades in former industrial zones in the city.

He also highlighted a recent $851,000 grant for water and sewer upgrades to support housing tied to economic projects in the city.

The program at the center of the discussion received an initial $26 million investment from the Ohio Department of Development supplemented by federal dollars and local contributions.

Franklin pointed to local success stories, including entrepreneurs Brian and Justine Blank, who launched Engineered Products Inc. (EPI) which is a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology business supporting defense and health care after starting with YBI support and choosing Warren for growth.

Ewing talked about the organization’s role in economic development across technology entrepreneurship, advanced manufacturing and minority business programs. She also praised Franklin’s long tenure and support for regional initiatives.

Malara outlined the Hub’s objectives of increasing competitiveness for small and medium manufacturers, growing the regional industrial base, securing investments, developing talent and accelerating technology commercialization.

She also stated that the initiative builds on decades of manufacturing investment in the region and hopes to capitalize on generational federal funding for advanced manufacturing to support Department of Defense needs.

“The goal of the Innovation Hub is to help companies at the earliest stages get moving but also really to help our current manufacturers expand and accelerate their operations,” Malara said.

The Hub focuses on expanding ready manufacturing infrastructure, supporting entrepreneurship and commercialization, integrating supply chains for resiliency, and advancing workforce education. It targets impact across Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula and Columbiana counties, also known as the Lake to River region.

Its support also extends to broader Northeast Ohio and contributes to statewide economic goals.

Outlined during the event were projected outcomes over the next three years of $100 million to $162 million in economic impact, 450 new jobs and 185 STEM certifications.

Representatives from partner organizations detailed specific offerings.

Chandler Fiffick, senior director of YBI’s Engine tech incubator, described no cost services tailored for advanced manufacturing startups, including mentorship, grant navigation, office space at $6 per square foot and manufacturing space at $8 per square foot. He reported that incubator companies generated more than $100 million in revenue and created or retained 800 jobs in recent years.

Stephanie Gaffney, YBI’s chief manufacturing officer, discussed facilities expansion, including a soon-to-come 530,000-square-foot building by renovating the old Youngstown Vindicator building on West Front Street in downtown Youngstown, with 100,000-square-feet dedicated to manufacturing. She highlighted grants for technology adoption, commercialization projects and supply chain integration.

Sarah Boyarko, vice president of economic development for Lake to River Economic Development, outlined JobsOhio programs, including small business grants up to $50,000, job creation tax credits, R&D loans and grants, workforce training support and talent attraction incentives, such as the Find Your Ohio program and a new $15,000-per-candidate relocation incentive.

Zach Courtright, CEO and cofounder of LeapFast Manufacturing Inc., offered perspective from a company already utilizing Hub resources.

LeapFast develops large scale additive manufacturing for metal structures, such as rocket stages and ship hulls, targeting defense, aerospace and NASA applications. Courtright, a former NASA engineer with ties to the region, described securing $100,000 through a Hub intellectual property generation proposal and occupying low-cost space at YBI.

“The opportunity to bring advanced manufacturing to the forefront and make this like an epicenter is really, really important, really valuable,” Courtright said. “We’re taking advantage of that. It’s an amazing thing.”

He credited the area’s manufacturing heritage as part of what drew his company from Alabama to Youngstown.