Ohio State Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Timashev Technology Tower

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Oct. 20, 2026) - The Ohio State University broke ground today on the Timashev Technology Tower, an eight-story, 103,000-square-foot building on the university's campus that will add shared wet lab space and room for technology and life sciences companies to grow. JobsOhio intends to provide a significant low-interest loan for the project, which is part of JobsOhio's commitment to invest $100 million in the Columbus Innovation District.

Inside the tower, a shared wet lab (curated and managed by Ohio State) will allow early-stage teams to access benches, equipment and meeting space within days - without having to raise millions to build facilities to test an idea.

"The Timashev Technology Tower will give startups and established companies a place to grow alongside one of the nation's leading medical and research universities, adding to the momentum that makes Ohio a top destination for life sciences and technology investment," said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. "Today's groundbreaking reflects years of intentional work to build an innovation network within the Ohio Discovery Corridor where cutting-edge research doesn't stay in the lab."

In 2020, the State of Ohio and JobsOhio committed to invest in STEM talent, research and commercialization through Innovation Districts in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus. Those districts now anchor the Ohio Discovery Corridor. In Columbus, Ohio State and Nationwide Children's Hospital are already generating innovative research, discovery and business and economic growth.

The building will also give Ohio State's Center for Software Innovation a dedicated home for startups emerging from BuildX, the university's program that guides student founders through every stage of launching a company, with flexible co-working space and dedicated offices.

"It's going to be a beautiful building… both the outside and the inside are going to be very special," said Ohio State President Ravi V. Bellamkonda. "And the program that the building enables is also very special. It will be a mix of startups, large companies, the Center for Software Innovation, students, researchers and employees intermingling. An incredible vision of creating collisions for innovation of all different kinds."

Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said his conversations with Bellamkonda often invoked the tradition of Ohio State, and the new tower represented the university's and the state's innovative spirit.

"One thing we talked constantly about, as we represented the university, was that with tradition comes the responsibility to make it even greater, and that's what we have in mind with this building," he said. "The only way you uphold that tradition of greatness is you work together as a team."

Ohio State graduate and software entrepreneur Ratmir Timashev and his wife, Angela, made a transformative gift through their family foundation to develop the tower and the Center for Software Innovation's educational programming.

"We want to create something special for our students so that they are prepared for this fast-changing world of AI and innovation and life sciences. So that's how I give back to them," Ratmir Timashev said. "Ohio State and Angela and I, we share the same vision. We want Columbus and Ohio State and Central Ohio and Midwest to become the next Silicon Valley, the next technology hub where people and innovation come together."

The tower is another step in building that hub. The Innovation District is home to the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center and the Pelotonia Research Center, where Ohio State-founded clean-energy company Koloma, Ohio Life Sciences and Pelotonia are headquartered. A new partnership with Google will bring Google Cloud engineers and Google DeepMind research capabilities closer to Ohio State faculty and students.

About JobsOhio

JobsOhio, Ohio's private nonprofit economic development corporation, enhances company growth and personnel development through business attraction, retention, and expansion across 10 competitive industry sectors. With a team of seasoned professionals, JobsOhio utilizes a comprehensive network to foster talent production in targeted industries and attract talent through Find Your Ohio. Collaborating with seven regional partners, including Dayton Development Coalition, Lake to River Economic Development, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO. JobsOhio delivers world-class customer service to provide companies with a competitive advantage. In 2026 Ohio was named CNBC's Top State for Business. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, X , Facebook, and Instagram.

About the Ohio Discovery Corridor

The Ohio Discovery Corridor connects nine anchor institutions - Case Western Reserve University, Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati Children's, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, University Hospitals, and the University of Cincinnati - across Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati to form the state's life science innovation platform. This network provides companies with access to 39,000 annual STEM graduates, a $1B annual NIH-funded research engine, and physical space needed to bring innovative medicines and devices from benchtop to bedside. Powered by a $400+ million investment from JobsOhio and the State of Ohio, the Ohio Discovery Corridor is building the workforce, technology, and infrastructure to prepare the state and the world for the future of the life sciences industry. If you or your company are interested in joining us as we build, visit OhioDiscoveryCorridor.com

Contact for media inquiries:

Matt Englehart, JobsOhio, 614-300-1152

Email: [email protected]