The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimate plant-derived chemical feedstocks addressing industry needs will grow from a 2 percent current level to 10 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050. A recent DOE/USDA study projects that U.S. ag and forest lands have significant capacity (1.3 billion dry tons) to increase and sustain biomass for energy and bioproducts while still meeting food, feed, and export demands. Main drivers for this projection are: (1) increasing volatility of a diminishing supply of fossil-based sources, and (2) potential impact of biotechnology to integrate desired traits and enhance chemical functionality. The Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center, recently-funded from the State's Third Frontier program, seeks to integrate academia and industry towards development of renewable specialty chemicals, polymers/plastics and advanced materials. With a strong industrial Board of Advisors, the Center is a new research alliance that operates on a market-pull business model designed to link core research capabilities in genetics, biotechnology, chemical conversion and product development towards commercialization of bioproducts which represent a value proposition to industry members. The research alliance builds on two Ohio industrial strengths-agriculture and the chemicals, polymers, plastics and rubber materials sector. The Center leverages industry involvement with extensive core research commercialization capabilities at Battelle and The Ohio State University as well as strong linkages with associated DOE and USDA National Labs.