When a region, a state, a company, or those in the economic development sphere look to the future and the technologies that drive it, it is critical to have a roadmap. Because the Detroit Region and Michigan possess so much innovation, research, and development in the automotive and adjacent sectors, and because the world is changing so fast, it is absolutely critical to have a look into the technologies that offer growth for the future. The Detroit Regional Partnership’s (DRP) signature program, Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM), and their partners at S&P Global undertook the task of establishing a Technology Roadmap for mobility-related technologies.
One of the expressions I have heard over the years is that “Michigan needs to diversify away from the automotive industry.” This has always bothered me, but I also understand that it is rooted in frustration and the decades of our industry being the brunt of inflection points that hit it. However, I would argue that we need to look at that statement a little differently.
Yes, the Detroit Region and our state need to drive growth through the technologies that are in the growth sectors for the future. But we must also utilize our automotive industry as a platform FOR diversification. AI, machine learning, advanced automation, and sustainability technologies are all present in today’s automotive and mobility industry. There is no greater concentration of testing, research, engineering, and advanced manufacturing on the planet than our industry here in Michigan. We must lead by leveraging our assets and core strengths.
The results of this study offer a very clear roadmap for seven advanced mobility technologies that offer growth and also a means to utilize our core strengths for diversification. The next step is to leverage this work and communicate its significance to key stakeholders in the government, education, and private sectors. The key to the future will be to actually follow the roadmap.
Our automotive industry is squarely at the intersection of mobility, energy, and technology. The innovation that happens in this industry is core to our economy in Michigan, and it offers us a foundation for growth and diversification. Utilizing a roadmap like this will help us get to where we need to be for our future. The opportunity to deal with inflection points like electrification or AI and take the upward trajectory of growth are far more likely to happen when there is a map to help plot that future.