Just south of Ohio State’s campus lies one of the greatest technological wonders in Columbus – the research and development firm Battelle, sprawling over 58 acres of land.
The massive facility, which appears relatively quiet on the outside, is a live wire of activity within. Annually, thousands of projects are performed for about 2,000 companies and government agencies, resulting in nearly $1 billion in business volume each year. This work produces between 50 and 100 patented inventions each year, ranging from the creation of the office copier machine, Xerox, to the development of new golf ball coatings.
The Battelle Memorial Institute, located at 505 King Ave., began operations in 1929 as a memorial to the family of Gordon Battelle, who were innovators in America’s early steel industry. Since then, Battelle has evolved into a staff of 7,500 scientists, engineers and support specialists scattered worldwide from Columbus to Geneva, Switzerland.
According to Katy Delaney, a Battelle spokeswoman, about 85 percent of Battelle’s work is government related, and 15 percent is for commercial products. The government research has included nuclear study from more than 50 years ago to contemporary development of technology for the U.S. Navy. Battelle’s services in chemical and biological defense, counterterrorism and information analysis support the work of the Army, Marines and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Although the operations of Battelle extend around the world, many of the organization’s activities occur on a local level involving interaction with OSU, in particular.
Tony Imondi, vice president of Regulatory Clinical Affairs, thinks Battelle has formed a positive relationship with OSU as its next-door neighbor, particularly in the medical field of inhaled therapeutics. “I have nothing but good things to say about the collaboration we’ve had. The people at the university are experts. It’s about as good as you can get,” Imondi said.
Imondi has been working directly with the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in his work with Battelle subsidiary Battelle Pulmonary Therapeutics. The work of Imondi, part of a team of nearly 300 physicists, engineers and toxicologists with BPT, has brought improvements to the science of inhaled medication. This research has included a for-profit venture involving clinical trials of inhalation chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer.
Imondi noted that in order to conduct medical experiments, patients are needed. Having the university close at hand makes these studies possible. “It’s been very helpful. It’s so convenient to just run across the street and have it (the university) right there. You just work it out right here in your back yard,” he said.
Senior Analyst Jules Duga, a Battelle employee of 45 years and OSU alumnus, acknowledges a distinct relationship between the university and Battelle. “Our greatest collaboration is in the sharing of facilities. We have some special things that they use, and they have some special things that we use,” Duga said. According to Duga, an educational program was started in 1956 linking OSU to Battelle staff and its facilities.
However, Duga also views OSU as a rival in the area of research. “I’m sure there are times when we’ve competed with them,” he said.
Duga sees Battelle as a hands-on research institute and emphasizes on-the-job training as a big part of the organization’s discoveries. Duga recalls some of Battelle’s on-site research including the drilling of an oil well and the construction of a bowling alley.
“It’s exciting to walk into a machine shop and see them cutting up a meteorite,” he said. “We are still very, very much into getting your hands dirty, getting into the lab and doing fun things like that.”
Walking around the enormous facility, the evidence of beehive-like, hands-on development and invention is quickly obvious. According to Delaney, about 1,200 workers are employed by Battelle locally, both at the King Avenue location as well as a facility in West Jefferson, Ohio.
But according to “Solutions Update,” a business publication from the Battelle Memorial Institute, all of the activity isn’t always obvious. The publication reads: “You can spend weeks in our labs, and never see anything that screams ‘over here, a next-generation fiber optic multiplexer’ or ‘here’s a cure for lung cancer.’ ”
The diversity of Battelle’s research extends from the Columbus base throughout the world. At a North Carolina facility, scientists are studying the global change on plants and ecosystems. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is home to research for a Mars sample return mission. As a whole, Battelle provides research solutions for clients in 30 countries.
From testing the polymers of Barbie doll hair to the development of the copy machine, the King Avenue location is still the Columbus home of this non-profit (nonstock) research giant. “We set the stage for other companies. There are amazing things going on here. It’s always been exciting,” Duga said.
Stephen Millett, thought leader and manager of Battelle’s technology forecasts, sees continued success for the organization. In a Battelle news release, he stated his vision for the future of the business. “From cloned human organs, to personalized public transportation, to computers and sensors embedded in our bodies, we will become intertwined with technology,” Millett said.
