Youngstown has built a hub for additive manufacturing and it’s paying off in a big way. The NFL is bringing its challenge to create a safer helmet to the city in November.
Erin O’Donnell, director of partnerships and community relations for America Makes, says the three-day symposium could be a big step in trying to prevent concussions for players.
“The opportunity is we’re going to bring everyone to Youngstown,” O’Donnell says. “It will be networking, it will be brainstorming, it will be creating a group that will then go and write a grant paper in regards to how they plan to solve it.”
The symposium, which is scheduled for November 13-15, will provide information on the science of helmets and concussions in the NFL, as well as chances to network and build teams.
The grant papers will be due next spring. Whoever gets selected will then be given funding to research and develop a prototype that meets NFL standards.
A winner will be selected in May 2021 and receive a $1 million prize.
