DAYTON, Ohio -- State leaders are pointing to a new initiative at Wright State University as an example of what Ohio’s Third Frontier Program can produce.

Third Frontier is a state-funded research effort and it is up for renewal on the May ballot.

Wright State is doing its part to promote the upcoming issue before voters. On Monday, they hosted state and business leaders on campus talking about research.

Eric Fingerhut, who is the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, said, “We will attract business investment.”

Fingerhut led a session on the impact of the Third Frontier Program. He pointed to one of the state’s Centers of Excellence at Wright State on Knowledge-based computing.

The program is breaking new ground in gathering data from social media like Twitter and making sense of it for use in marketing and other areas.

Fingerhut said it’s an example of the kind of work being done under the Third Frontier Program, helping companies to expand.

“They will start new businesses. They will create new jobs for the region. We will be the center of innovation for knowledge center computing,” Fingerhut said.

Wright State University’s President, David Hopkins, said Third Frontier has been very good to the school overall.

Students and their parents may not see the immediate effect, but Third Frontier teams researchers with industry to solve problems or search for new products.

The Third Frontier renewal will be on the May 4 ballot. It is the state’s Issue One.