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Data Highlight: COVID-19 and Michigan Automotive

February 25, 2021
On Thursday, Feb. 25, the Detroit Regional Chamber released its annual State of the Region Report at the State of the Region virtual data presentation. The report highlights assets and rankings for the region, the economic impact of COVID-19, and the region’s key industries, including automotive and mobility, through 2020. The automotive and mobility spotlight within the report provides an overview of the industry through key metrics, case studies, and an updated industry footprint. The footprint reveals that despite COVID-19, Michigan remains a top state for the automotive industry with 24 OEMs with a presence here, 96 of the top 100 North American suppliers located in the state, 16 universities with nationally ranked undergraduate engineering programs, and over 2,200 engineering, R&D, testing, and validation facilities. The automotive industry contributes $225 billion to Michigan’s economy annually and is responsible for providing 712,000 jobs in Michigan, which signifies the magnitude of the industry in the state and its impact.

To view the full list, visit the MICHauto Asset Map at https://michauto.org/map.

This automotive and mobility footprint in the 2021 State of the Region creates an accurate picture of the industry’s reach in the state and reinforces Michigan’s title as “the” automotive state.

The resiliency of the automotive industry through the COVID-19 pandemic is also shown through its sales and production numbers, which show a large decline during the shutdown, but an upward trend back to pre-COVID levels by the end of the year. The Case Study: Manufacturing Mobilizes the Arsenal of Health addresses this shutdown and depicts how the industry pivoted during this time when they were not producing vehicles to instead use their workforce and production facilities to produce critical personal protection equipment for health care workers. AAM, Ford, GM, Lear Corporation, Nexteer, and Magna are just a few companies that are highlighted in the case study; however, it was an effort by the industry as a whole. This effort represents the industry’s dedication to the community and its ability to innovate quickly and pivot to supply demands as needed.

View the full 2021 State of the Region Report.