Michigan Touts Its Automotive Technology Leadership

A coalition of organizations, universities, business leaders and automotive companies in Michigan is launching a new effort to promote the development of next-generation automotive technologies and recruit top engineers and researchers to the area.

The program, dubbed the Michigan Mobility Initiative, was announced on Wednesday during the state's annual policy conference meetings on Mackinac Island. Partner members include the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Michigan Dept. of Transportation, Detroit's University Research Corridor and Business Leaders for Michigan, a group that includes General Motors CEO Mary Barra and Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr.

The initiative will focus on promoting the state's capabilities in next-generation mobility research and development in fuel efficiency and connected and self-driving vehicles. Gov. Rick Snyder complains that Silicon Valley has done a better job of promoting itself in that area, even though Michigan is home to "exponentially" more mobility capability and activity.

Southeast Michigan has the highest number of "advanced auto industry" jobs (67,800) and businesses (nearly 500) in the U.S., according to the coalition. It has released a map showing 28 advanced R&D facilities in metropolitan Detroit alone. The group also notes Michigan is home to 45 connected-vehicle projects compared with 31 for California.

The Michigan initiative says its challenge will be to maintain and capitalize on Michigan's existing automotive resources as such newcomers as Apple, Google and Tesla jump into the personal mobility market with their own self-driving car systems and other electronics features.

The coalition will support legislative action, technology development, economic policies and infrastructure improvements to bolster Michigan's high-tech stature. The group also vows to work with high schools and universities to attract and prepare students for automotive engineering careers.