Dr. Miko Cakmak is doing at least five things at once. And that’s not counting his position as Harold A. Morton Chair and Distinguished Professor of Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron (UA) or his post as director of the UA site for the Center for Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Devices, (CMPND). As part of his $8M Research Commercialization Program (RCP) grant through the Ohio Third Frontier (OTF) program, Cakmak is working to advance five supply chains based on five targeted “thrust areas,” which, in turn, are all centered on polyimide thin films. As part of the grant, university researchers and industrial companies are working together to commercialize products including optical films for liquid crystal displays (LCD), high-strength films for the High Altitude airship, high-performance composites to replace jet engine parts and thermal management films for dissipating heat from electronic devices, including plasma and LCD television sets. All five thrusts are making substantial progress, and as Cakmak puts it, “are kicking out lots of innovative technologies.”

Another round of impressive gains has been reported by the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND), which actively demonstrates Ohio’s strong presence in the nanomaterials industry. Managed from its offices and laboratory space at the Nanotech West facility in Science Village, adjacent to The Ohio State University campus, CMPND is a Wright Center funded in May 2005 with a $22.5M grant plus a combination of grants from Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) and the Ohio Third Frontier (TFP). In the last three years, CMPND has also been supported with Research Commercialization Program (RCP) grants of $8M for composites, and $8MM for polyimides for manufacturing and job stimulus efforts. These RCP grants were two of the five RCP awards funded in 2006 out of 45 competing proposals.