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MichAuto Positions Michigan to Lead the Global Mobility Revolution

February 25, 2020
The eighth annual MichAuto Summit is showcasing how Michigan is poised to lead the global mobility revolution. The state came out of the recession with 60,000 new manufacturing jobs, a nearly 50% growth, and 96 out of the top 100 suppliers to North America currently have a presence here. With electric and autonomous vehicles emerging as the next frontier, Michigan’s assets position the state as an industry superpower.

Michigan is home to top mobility research facilities like Mcity, the American Center for Mobility, and Kettering University GM Research Center, said Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Sandy K. Baruah on the Summit stage. And the PlanetM Landing Zone is creating a startup ecosystem, attracting mobility startups from across the globe to build their business right here.

While the traditional automotive industry has an annual contribution of $225 billion to Michigan’s economy, the combined automotive and mobility industry has the potential to contribute $3.5 trillion globally, said MichAuto Executive Director and Vice President of Automotive and Mobility Initiatives at the Chamber Glenn Stevens Jr.

As the state’s only automotive and mobility cluster association, MichAuto is addressing the state’s challenges in maintaining its lead in the global landscape through advocacy efforts, strengthening the talent pipeline, and convening power, explained Stevens. With a full-time advocacy dedicated staff person, MichAuto has spent the past year convening industry leaders with legislators in Lansing.

Discover Auto is helping change perceptions of jobs available in the industry by holding tours for students at top automotive companies in Michigan. Introducing students early on will help more students choose the industry for their career path later.

MichAuto’s fourth annual Michigan is Automobility report provides data and highlights the industry’s impact in Michigan. Highlights from the report include:

  • Michigan has 500+ miles equipped for connect and autonomous vehicles.
  • The state leads the nation in U.S. Department of Transportation-funded vehicle deployments and public-private partnerships for on-the-road testing.
  • 8,600+ engineering degrees are earned from Michigan colleges and universities annually.
  • 73% of the nation’s business-funded automotive research and development is done in Michigan, which is $14 billion.

Download the full report.