The Ohio State University has announced the new name of the growing innovation district on the university’s west campus: Carmenton.

Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson joined government, industry and university leaders today in Carmenton to highlight the progress in the district and point to the future. Carmenton offers proximity to researchers and innovators, to the university, to downtown Columbus and to the entire central Ohio region.

Carmenton is bringing private, public and academic sectors together to exchange knowledge, understand problems that seem insurmountable, develop new technologies and accelerate delivering solutions to market and the world.

“Innovation is the hallmark of who we are at Ohio State. It is our calling card, and our North Star. From academic instruction to research and development, we are making groundbreaking advancements across multiple disciplines,” Johnson said. “To see our innovation district, Carmenton, move from concept to reality is both exciting and fulfilling.”

The name comes from the university’s alma mater, “Carmen Ohio,” which can be translated to mean “Song of Ohio.” Johnson said it is a song that brings Buckeyes from around the world together under a common banner and is a reminder of the university’s land-grant mission.

From restaurants to retail to residences, Carmenton’s mixed-use development is designed to give the district a community that lives beyond the workday. Spaces to live, play and innovate will create a neighborhood that feels vibrant and welcoming – and will attract and retain talented people.

“We know that for Columbus to succeed, Ohio State needs to succeed. And for Ohio State to succeed, Columbus needs to succeed,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. “So whether it’s the next generation of cancer researchers or the next generation of STEM teachers, we know that this district is for them. We know that Columbus, Ohio State and this new space is for all of us.”

Carmenton and innovation districts in Cleveland and Cincinnati are expected to support an estimated 60,000 new jobs, 47,000 new students with STEM degrees and $9 billion in economic impact over the next 10 years, said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.

“The state of Ohio is at the front end of capturing a generational opportunity that we find ourselves in right now. With the leadership at The Ohio State University and Ohio’s bold innovation strategy, we will establish Carmenton as one of America’s new centers of gravity for innovation,” he said.

When fully built out, Carmenton will cover more than 270 acres and will be designed to merge entrepreneurial, corporate, academic and health care communities in collaborative spaces and programs.

Those first spaces to open will be:

• Ohio State’s Interdisciplinary Research Facility, where researchers in life sciences, engineering, agriculture, social determinants of health, artificial intelligence and other disciplines will work under one roof. The Interdisciplinary Research Facility, set to open in summer of 2023, will include the new Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, where researchers will explore how to use the body’s immune system to fight cancer, and the Chlapaty Laboratory, focused on cardiovascular innovation.
• The Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, a space for Ohio State researchers, students, ENGIE Buckeye Operations members, local entrepreneurs and industry experts to partner on the next generation of renewable energy, artificial intelligence and smart systems. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023.
• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Outpatient Care – West Campus, which will offer comprehensive cancer care, from diagnosis to treatment through survivorship, and expand patients’ access to clinical trials. The project is expected to be finished in 2023.

“The impact of this mixed-use community, whose members will be working and living together with the collective goal of pushing boundaries in everything from health care to business, will be boundless,” Johnson said. “These three buildings are the first step toward a significant paradigm shift that will transform lives.”