GE Aviation to add research center near Dayton, Ohio

GE to put research center in Dayton

CINCINNATI — GE Aviation announced plans Wednesday for a new electric power systems research and development center near Dayton in southwest Ohio.

Ohio’s Third Frontier program, which funds investment in innovative technology projects, will provide a $7.6 million grant for the project estimated at $51 million. GE Aviation said the center will work on advanced electrical systems for ground vehicles, aircraft and naval ships.

“This center of excellence will be used to design optimized systems that deliver electric power efficiently and robustly for our military and commercial customers,” Vic Bonneau, president of electric power for GE Aviation Systems, said in a statement.

The exact location will be decided later this year, and officials noted that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and its research labs are also near Dayton. The University of Dayton Research Institute will work with GE Aviation.

Ohio officials say the new center will mean 10 to 15 new jobs in its first year, expected to be 2012, with the potential to add 100 to 200 to GE Aviation’s current 1,000-plus employees in the Dayton area, depending on future contracts.

The General Electric Co. unit is based in Evendale, just north of Cincinnati, where it makes military and commercial jet engines and other aircraft components.

“This investment underscores the importance of linking Ohio’s educational and industrial research strengths to boost Ohio as an advanced technology leader,” Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said in a statement.

Ohio voters in the May 4 primary will decide whether to renew the Third Frontier program.

Meanwhile, Air Force officials said this week that the Wright-Patterson base is getting a new purchasing unit that will add up to 200 jobs. The Air Force Materiel Command said the unit will handle acquisition of non-weapons goods and services for bases across the country.

On the Net:

www.ge.com/aviation