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From Ohio to Stockholm: OIEx and Digital Science Bridge the Language Gap with AI

The Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx) and Digital Science highlighted their collaboration exploring how artificial intelligence can help bridge one of the greatest barriers to university-industry collaboration: the gap between the language of academic research and the practical needs of business.

Tim Cain, Principal Lead of OIEx, and Jonathan Breeze, Executive Vice President – Academics at Digital Science, presented "Bridging the Language Gap: How AI is Transforming University-Industry Collaboration" at the 2026 European University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

Drawing on a joint feasibility study, the presentation showcased an AI-powered prototype that translates natural-language industry questions into meaningful researcher matches, accompanied by clear, transparent explanations.

Early testing demonstrated improved discoverability of research expertise, greater accessibility for non-academic users, reduced administrative effort, and increased confidence among both industry and university partners. The presenters also emphasized key principles for responsible AI adoption, including reducing friction, keeping researchers in control, embedding AI within trusted research information systems, and designing outputs that are understandable to broader audiences.

Bowling Green State University Strengthening Ohio's Innovation Ecosystem

Bowling Green State University, a comprehensive, high-research university, joined the Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx), a statewide platform that connects business and industry with academic expertise, research assets and specialized equipment. By becoming part of OIEx, Bowling Green is strengthening opportunities for collaboration in higher education that drive innovation, economic development and technology transfer across Ohio and beyond. Founded in 1910, Bowling Green prepares students for in-demand careers through relevant academic programs and conducts cutting-edge research across multiple fields – including advanced manufacturing, computer and data science, engineering, emerging technologies and healthcare – that provides real-world solutions for employers and industry.

As part of OIEx, Bowling Green has world-class faculty experts from various disciplines available to lend their applied research expertise and knowledge to public and private industries to help solve product and workforce challenges to drive Ohio’s economy forward. The addition of Bowling Green to the OIEx collective expands the growing network to 13,000 experts from Ohio’s leading universities, further positioning the state as a hub for knowledge, discovery and industry engagement.

Ohio Third Frontier Awards Funding to Scale OIEx and Strengthen Statewide Innovation Connections

The Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx), a pioneering initiative of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, has been awarded new funding through the Ohio Third Frontier Research Incentive program for a project titled Scaling Innovation Connections Through AI-Driven Discovery, Strategic Engagement, and Sustained Growth of the Ohio Innovation Exchange. The award supports the continued evolution of OIEx as a nationally recognized digital platform that connects Ohio’s businesses, entrepreneurs, and economic development partners with research expertise and shared resources across the state’s universities.

Since its launch in 2018, OIEx has grown from an early concept into a robust, multi-university knowledge-sharing ecosystem representing more than ten of Ohio’s research-active institutions, with additional universities currently onboarding. The platform provides open, searchable access to faculty expertise, facilities, and research services, helping bridge longstanding gaps between academic research and industry needs. “The increasing regional, national and international visibility of OIEx as a rich collection of information from nearly all of Ohio’s universities is envied by many peers,” said Tim Cain, PhD, Associate Professor and Project Principal Investigator at Ohio University, who leads the initiative with Dan Kelley, PhD, Co-Investigator and Director of The Ohio State University’s Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy. Cain further noted that, “This proposal focuses energy and activities to further the ever-increasing value of OIEx as a modern, highly sought digital asset of the broader, thriving ecosystem of innovation in the State of Ohio.”

The new round of funding will advance OIEx through three integrated focus areas: powering deeper discovery through generative artificial intelligence, scaling sustained industry engagement, and strengthening adoption and value across partner universities. These efforts build on successful AI prototypes that demonstrate how emerging technologies can bridge terminology gaps, align academic expertise with industry needs, and improve discovery outcomes for businesses seeking innovation partners.

Joining the OIEx team to help realize these goals are  Shahwar Ali, MPA, MA, and Jessica L. Valsi, MA, (shown left to right in photo, respectively).  Ali joins OIEx as Partnership Engagement Manager, where she will lead sector-specific outreach, highlight success stories, and pilot new engagement strategies that deepen industry participation. Valsi of The Ohio State University’s Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy, will support engagement across OIEx’s growing network of university partners, focusing on collaboration, adoption, and coordination across the statewide consortium. Together, these investments position the Ohio Innovation Exchange for sustained growth and continued impact as a critical public asset advancing Ohio’s innovation economy.

Exploring Generative AI and OIEx’s Curated Data to Strengthen Discovery

Universities increasingly recognize interdisciplinary collaboration as essential for addressing complex challenges. Yet forging effective partnerships across academia, industry, and government often proves difficult, hindered by siloed organizational structures and language barriers.

Simply convening potential collaborators is rarely enough. Successful partnerships depend on clear communication and shared understanding. Industry professionals frequently describe emerging technologies using terminology unfamiliar to academics, who tend to reference more traditional disciplinary frameworks. This linguistic gap can frustrate discovery when industry seeks academic expertise.

To illustrate the point, Tim Cain of OIEx noted: “From aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright to early aerospace trailblazers Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, Ohio has a longstanding connection with aviation and aerospace innovation. Today, as investment in advanced air mobility technologies accelerates, Ohio stakeholders are exploring how OIEx’s access to academic expertise and shareable assets can help identify, connect, and convene collaborators more quickly.

“Industry professionals searching for expertise in areas such as vertiports, low-altitude traffic management, and navigation control systems often struggle to find relevant academic work, which is typically categorized under broader fields like mechanical, aerospace, or systems engineering. Bridging this ‘cross-talk’ is essential to making academic expertise both discoverable and actionable for industry.”

To tackle this challenge, OIEx partnered with Digital Science to test two complementary generative AI approaches. At the 2025 Expert Finder Systems International Forum,  Cain and Jackson Anderson (Digital Science) presented Lost in Translation? Using Generative AI to Make Academic Expertise Easier to Discover shared preliminary outcomes early insights from their pilot efforts.

Leveraging OIEx’s rich curated dataset, the team began ploring how generative AI could be used to:

1. Enhance search by interpreting and translating industry partner queries, enabling intuitive discovery of academic expertise despite differing vocabularies.
2. Support researchers through the use of an AI-powered wizard to generate industry-friendly bios and keywords.  Better aligning academic expertise with terms familiar to practitioners could improve matchmaking.

Cain and Anderson offered perspectives on how institutions can adopt AI responsibly in research information systems—positioning these tools to support, rather than disrupt, the scholarly communication ecosystem.

Building Ohio’s Innovation Future: Insights from Stakeholders

To better understand the value and future potential of the Ohio Innovation Exchange, the OIEx team engaged an experienced team at the Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs of The Ohio State University to evaluate how OIEx is meeting the information needs of its targeted audience.  Battelle Center faculty and staff guided a team students completing the Center’s Rapid Innovation for Public Impact graduate coursework, who interviewed nearly 25 key stakeholders from across Ohio’s innovation ecosystem and beyond - including industry leaders, policy experts, academic professionals, venture capital partners and technology innovators.

These conversations underscored a clear consensus: OIEx is a vital tool for breaking down silos, accelerating commercialization, and positioning Ohio as a national leader in research and innovation.

Historically, the research and development landscape has faced a persistent challenge - fragmented access to institutional knowledge and limited visibility into academic expertise. OIEx addresses these barriers by consolidating data from more than ten Ohio universities into one open-access platform, making it easier for industry, researchers, and entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate.

As documented in a 2025 Report of the Battelle team’s findings, industry stakeholders emphasized that OIEx shortens the path from research to real-world impact. Companies can now more easily identify relevant experts in critical fields such as aerospace, biotech, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing, enabling faster product development and stronger partnerships.

Beyond individual collaborations, OIEx strengthens Ohio’s competitive edge for business development and federal investment. By showcasing the collective research capacity of its universities, Ohio is better positioned to attract high-value opportunities in sectors like aerospace, semiconductors and life sciences.

OIEx doesn’t just connect universities with industry - it helps foster collaboration among universities themselves. Academic leaders recognize OIEx as a powerful resource for building multi-institutional research teams that can compete for large federal grants and strategic initiatives.

More than a platform, the Ohio Innovation Exchange is a public good for the digital knowledge economy. Open, transparent, and freely accessible, it removes barriers that often limit innovation. Unlike proprietary platforms or closed academic databases, OIEx is designed to maximize equitable access, encourage collaborative engagement and drive statewide economic growth.

Stakeholder insights confirm one thing: OIEx is a critical infrastructure for 21st-century innovation. As Ohio strengthens its position as a national leader in research and technology, OIEx will remain essential for enabling collaboration, attracting investment, and shaping the ideas that define the future. Continued investment in its growth - through improved user experience, expanded partnerships, and strategic outreach - will ensure that OIEx delivers a sustainable impact for Ohio and beyond.

A copy of the Report is available for download:

Ali, Shahwar, Daniel Kelley, et al. (2025). "Synthesizing Perspective and Insights from its Targeted Audience to Inform the Roadmap Forward for the Ohio Innovation Exchange." The Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy at The Ohio State University.