Representative Matthews pitches Ohio Tech Institute to speed tech transfer and workforce training

Representative Matthews appeared before the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee to present House Bill 666, saying the bill would create an Ohio Tech Institute to link university and federal lab research with industry and workforce training.

"At its core, House Bill 666 creates the Ohio Tech Institute," Matthews told the committee, saying the institute would "sit at the intersection of education, industry, and applied research" and provide pathways to commercialize innovations in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and defense‑related fields.

Matthews directed members to an Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) one‑pager and said the network previously received $10,000,000 from the state. He also stated that tech transfer commonly produces a high return on investment, characterizing that payoff as roughly "6 to 1." He said the institute is intended to keep intellectual property, jobs and startups in Ohio while aligning training with employer demand.

Committee members asked for specifics. Representative Santucci asked how the institute would move the needle on research and development; Matthews said it would create clearer pathways for students and entrepreneurs to connect with problem sets from agencies such as NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Representative Miller asked whether the institute would be based at Ohio State or within a state department; Matthews said the bill places the institute within the Department of Higher Education for now and that he hopes metrics and future appropriations would follow.

On funding, Matthews said the bill as drafted does not itself award grants and that the institute would function as a facilitator and connector; he said tactical funding would address near‑term commercialization needs while strategic funding would support longer‑term development. Representative Workman noted there was no fiscal analysis accompanying the bill during the hearing.

Representative Richardson raised security concerns for defense‑related technologies. Matthews responded that the bill does not prescribe security protocols and that specific defense agencies (for example, the Air Force, Navy or NASA) control how sensitive technologies released through their programs are secured.

Matthews referenced a prior 2015 effort that had discussed building an institute with $30–$40 million in appropriations, and he said he hopes the committee and the legislature will consider fiscal support once the institute demonstrates metrics. The committee took a brief recess and did not vote on HB 666 during the session.

The committee will consider the bill further in committee process; no formal appropriation or final action on HB 666 was recorded in this hearing.