State awards $2.4 million for new tech approaches to combat opioid abuse

The state of Ohio announced this week $2.4 million in awards to 12 organizations working on technologies meant to address the opioid crisis. (Source: “Ohio awards $2.4 million to 12 groups using tech to fight opioid abuse,” Crain’s Cleveland, Sept. 12, 2018).

The Ohio Third Frontier program will give $200,000 to each of the 12 winners, chosen from 50 applicants, to continue advancing their technologies. The awards were made as part of the Third Frontier’s Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge program, which aims to fight opioid abuse and create high-tech jobs at the same time.

In December 2017 the Third Frontier Commission awarded $10 million to seven organizations as part of the program's first phase, which focused on funding "bold and creative ideas from hundreds of researchers, caregivers, service providers and citizens from across Ohio, the U.S. and the world," according to a news release.

The second phase focuses on technical solutions to opioid issues. The third phase, which is scheduled to begin in late September, is intended to provide funding to refine the most promising projects and help turn them into market-ready products.