Michigan’s Leadership in Manufacturing Extended Through Statewide Industry 4.0 Initiative

Working to extend Michigan’s national leadership in advanced manufacturing, the Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a statewide effort to ensure 50 percent of Michigan manufacturers – or 6,200 businesses – are prepared to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies at some level by 2025, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

“Michigan is the place where manufacturing and technology come together to create a more productive industry and resilient workforce,” said MEDC CEO Mark Burton. “We are once again using innovative public-private partnerships to create solutions to Michigan’s most pressing economic challenges. In this case, we’re working to ensure Industry 4.0 readiness for our small and medium-sized manufacturers, which will protect our leadership in manufacturing and position our workforce for success.”

The initiative includes efforts to drive awareness of the importance of Industry 4.0 readiness and technical support to help small- to medium-sized manufacturers adopt Industry 4.0 technologies through a partnership with Automation Alley and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC).

An RFP for a grant program of up to $2 million to support regional needs related to Industry 4.0 readiness that are complementary, but separate, from the Automation Alley and MMTC efforts was also approved.

As part of the overall initiative the Michigan Strategic Fund today approved the following actions that will help support MEDC’s goals of ensuring that Michigan’s small- and medium-sized manufacturers are aware of the importance of preparing for Industry 4.0 and the resources and services available to help them:

• A $2.5 million agreement with Automation Alley to provide outreach and Industry 4.0 readiness assessments to manufacturers across the state.
• A $3.05 million agreement with MMTC to provide outreach, education and Industry 4.0 technical assessments to manufacturers across the state.
• Authorized up to $2 million in grant funding, and approved the issuance of a Request for Proposals from Michigan-based nonprofit or governmental regional organizations for grants to increase manufacturers’ readiness to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies. The RFP is expected to be issued on Friday, December 11 at https://www.michiganbusiness.org/public-notices-rfps/.
• $1 million to McCann Detroit for an in-state advertising campaign specific to Industry 4.0 awareness and availability of services.

Research has identified a lack of awareness of the impacts of automation on future growth among small- and medium-sized manufacturers. To grow that awareness and to ensure long-term competitiveness of the state’s manufacturing sector as this shift to digital manufacturing occurs MEDC will launch an advertising campaign that will also serve to connect manufacturers to Industry 4.0 educational resources being provided through Automation Alley and MMTC partnership. The targeted statewide paid awareness and education campaign will launch in early 2021 and will include advertising, social media, digital media, events, content marketing and more.

Taken together, this Industry 4.0 initiative continues to build in Michigan’s rich manufacturing heritage and technological know-how to develop the innovative, high-tech products of the future. With the 5th largest advanced manufacturing workforce in the country and more than 13,000 workers employed in industries related to Industry 4.0 and automation – the most in the nation -this effort also secures continued opportunity and stability for Michigan’s manufacturing workforce for years to come.

For more information on Industry 4.0 resources in Michigan, visit www.michiganbusiness.org/industry4-0/.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org