The MichAuto Michigan Automotive Roadmap is grounded in an important principle: the future of Michigan’s automotive industry should be shaped with the people and organizations that live that future every day. Throughout the roadmap process, stakeholders from manufacturers, suppliers, startups, universities, workforce organizations, economic development partners, policymakers, and other parts of the ecosystem shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the state. That engagement was deliberate and structured. It began with a broad inquiry sent to over 1,000 Michigan stakeholders, moved into six structured roundtables across the state, and concluded with approximately 40 individual interviews and focus groups to resolve points where perspectives diverged.
Those conversations revealed both consensus and tension. Stakeholders agreed that Michigan possesses extraordinary automotive assets, but they also expressed concern that the state’s ecosystem is fragmented. Strong programs exist, but they are not always coordinated. Institutions are committed to progress, but they sometimes pursue overlapping goals independently. Regional, public, private, academic, and industry partners often operate with different timelines, incentive structures, and definitions of success.
That feedback led to one of the roadmap’s central findings: Michigan’s greatest challenge is not a lack of assets but a lack of alignment. The state has the components of a world-class automotive ecosystem. What it needs is a stronger system for connecting those components, setting shared priorities, and sustaining action over time.
The data reinforces that conclusion. Michigan ranks first in the nation in concentration of engineers, and 95 of the world’s top 100 automotive suppliers operate here. Yet vehicle production in Michigan fell from 2.7 million units in 2004 to 2.0 million in 2024, while southern states grew production by 60 percent over the same period. Assets alone did not hold that ground. Alignment is what turns assets into results.
Listening to industry also helps ensure that policy recommendations reflect real-world conditions. Businesses emphasized project delivery speed, regulatory predictability, energy costs, site readiness, and support for manufacturing modernization. Educators emphasized the need for clearer employer signals, stronger pathways, and better alignment with emerging skills. Several pointed to a structural gap at the front end of the pipeline: Michigan ranks 49th nationally in its school counselor-to-student ratio, with roughly 598 students per counselor against a recommended 250, which limits how many young people ever learn about careers in the industry. Startups and innovators highlighted challenges related to capital, commercialization, and access to customers. Economic development leaders pointed to the need for greater coordination across regions and institutions. Labor leaders stressed that the industry’s transformation must include a clear path for the workers who built it, with upskilling and reskilling treated as competitiveness priorities rather than afterthoughts.
That feedback is reflected throughout the roadmap. Calls for speed and predictability shaped its approach to permitting and project delivery. Concerns about site readiness and energy costs informed its approach to industrial sites and infrastructure. Startups’ challenges with capital and commercialization shaped its approach to research and innovation. And the consistent theme of fragmentation drove its emphasis on statewide leadership and coordination.
The value of stakeholder engagement is that it moves the conversation beyond theory. It helps identify where policy, practice, and economic reality intersect. It also creates shared ownership. When stakeholders contribute to the roadmap, they are more likely to support its implementation and hold one another accountable for progress.
The roadmap is therefore not simply a report about the automotive industry. It is a platform for collective action. By listening carefully to industry and ecosystem partners, Michigan can craft policies that are practical, targeted, and responsive to the pace of change. The state’s future will depend not only on what it builds, but also on how well it listens, learns, and adapts. That listening does not end with the roadmap. The same voices that helped shape it will be essential to carrying it forward.