The creation of this office aims to further solidify Michigan’s position as the global leader in producing and developing the next generation of transportation solutions and technologies. The OFME will focus on six objectives:

1. Increase Mobility Investment in Michigan: Generate new investment and job creation from tech companies focused on future mobility, including autonomous and electric innovation.
2. Expand Michigan’s Smart Infrastructure: Further develop systems for deploying autonomous and shared transportation.
3. Engage More Mobility Startups: Establish Michigan as a premier location for young companies to start, scale, commercialize and grow technologies redefining the movement of people and goods.
4. Further Enable Michigan’s Mobility Workforce: Develop and attract the skills and talent necessary to meet the changing demands of the mobility sector.
5. Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption: Support the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles and expand access to charging infrastructure.
6. Bolster Michigan’s Mobility Manufacturing Core: Protect the state’s competitiveness in electric and autonomous vehicle manufacturing and ability to move technologies into industrial scale manufacturing.

The new office will work across state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing mobility and electrification policies and supporting the startup and scale up of emerging technologies and businesses.

Mobility Spotlight: Ford Partners with Tech-Focused Incubator Company Newlab for Corktown Campus

Ford Motor Company is partnering with Brooklyn-based, Newlab, to occupy two mobility innovation studios within the Corktown campus. The spaces are designed to bring together a network of startups, researchers and investors set on tackling transportation challenges with autonomous, electric and regional methods of mobility.

One studio, anticipated to be coming online later this summer, will focus on wide-ranging transportation issues, with a second studio tackling key transit issues, including accessibility, in the surrounding community of the Corktown campus coming online at a later date.

Find out more about this collaboration, Newlab, and updates on the construction of Ford’s $740M Corktown campus in this story from Crain’s Detroit Business.

Magna International Invests $35 Million, Creates 480 Jobs at Highland Park Plant

The Canada-based auto supplier is expanding its Highland Park plant after securing of two new full seat assembly contracts. With support from the Michigan Strategic Fund, the expansion will result in the creation of nearly 500 new jobs, beginning immediately, during a time when economic growth and job creation is more critical than ever. Magna International currently operates 30 facilities within Michigan and more than 10,000 residents, including the preexisting 625 Highland Park employees.

Learn more about Magna International, the investment in Highland Park, and a few reasons why Southeast Michigan is such an attractive automotive ecosystem here.

American Center for Mobility and University of Michigan Research Middle Skills in Connected and Automated Vehicle Job Sector

The American Center for Mobility and the University of Michigan have released Understanding the Middle Skills Workforce in the Connected and Automated Vehicle Sector, a report focusing on middle skills needs in the portion of the CAV workforce targeting testing and infrastructure.

The report suggests the demand of the critical foundation for the CAV technician workforce – mechanical, electrical and electronic knowledge – is shrinking. Emerging skills in software and data-related systems are continuing to expand as more components of the vehicle are connected and linked together, including to infrastructure.

The report delves further into additional skills needed for successfully training and equipping middle skill workers in the CAV sectors, including examining job duties, skillsets, emerging skills and gaps.

Read the full report and its findings here.

World Economic Forum Insight Report – Digitizing and Transforming Mobility Systems: Lessons From the Detroit Region

The World Economic Forum recently published an insight report looking at positive aspects of Detroit’s mobility ecosystem, as well as analyzing areas for improvement and roadblocks that may lay ahead. The report breaks down topics such as mobility deserts, inclusivity, private-public partnerships and much more.

When focusing on public-private partnerships, the report mentions PlanetM’s Project Kinetic as a prime example of a powerful, creative partnership between public, private and philanthropic sectors that resulted in the launch of pilots – Busority, Car4You, ChargeD, CTI, MicroTransit and Park Detroit.

You can read the full report and gain a unique perspective into Detroit’s mobility ecosystem in the full PDF here.

Reminder: Accepting Applications for PlanetM Testing Grant

Accelerate your company’s mobility innovation by accessing Michigan advanced testing facilities including:

• Mcity at the University of Michigan
• ACM
• GM Mobility Research Center at Kettering University
• Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium
• Keweenaw Research Center at Michigan Technological University

Testing grant applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. To learn more or to apply, visit https://www.planetm.com/test-and-pilot/.

University of Michigan Advanced Transportation Hub Funds 8 Mobility Projects

$710K in funding was recently awarded to eight early-stage, promising mobility projects that take a high-tech approach to take on challenges such as market needs, increasing efficiencies, and safety and sustainability of moving people and goods.

Funded by the Michigan Strategic Fund and oversight from the MEDC’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation program, the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation at the University of Michigan will provide mentorship support, in addition to the financial support, as these projects move toward commercialization.

Learn more about the MTRAC and the issues these eight projects will be facing head on here.

Mobility Resources

DID YOU MISS THE MOST RECENT PLANETM VIRTUAL MOBILITY MEETUP?
Catch up on the full conversation by visiting the Detroit Regional Chamber’s YouTube channel.

HEAR AND READ THE LATEST FROM TREVOR PAWL, CHIEF MOBILITY OFFICER:

– MDOT Talking Michigan Transportation Podcast: Meet Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer
– Trevor Pawl LinkedIn: Autonomous vehicles are not going away because of the pandemic.

RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES
For a list of resources and information for Michigan businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak – including resources for reopening and relief programs – visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

Upcoming Virtual Events