DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Suppliers of components for fuel cells will also be suppliers of jobs in Ohio, the leader of a state-supported agency that helps companies get new technologies to market said Tuesday.

Frank Svet, president and chief executive officer of the Edison Materials Technology Center in Kettering, made his remarks as he convened an industry conference of companies that make parts for fuel cells, a growing business in the state.

"The supply chain industry is very important to the state because, basically, that's where the jobs are going to be created," Svet told the parts suppliers.

The Edison Materials center is sponsoring the three-day conference that began Tuesday at the Dayton Marriott. It is EMTEC's third annual edition of the conference that focuses on membrane electrode assemblies, which distribute electric current and separate gases in fuel cells.

About 90 people had registered for the conference, down 10 percent from a year ago, Svet said.

"I suspect we're seeing some leveling out, consolidating, in the industry," he said.

Fuel cells run on hydrogen and emit water vapor, combining hydrogen and oxygen within the cell to produce electricity. They come in a range of sizes and generating capacity and are used as power sources in everything from industrial plants to laptop computers, cell phones and soldiers' backpacks.

Ohio is home to a growing number of companies that make parts for fuel cells or assemble them. The Ohio Department of Development's Third Frontier program and the state-supported Edison Materials center, which both encourage development of materials technology and alternative energy technologies, have provided millions of dollars in funding to promote the state's fuel cell industry.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.