Roundup: Personnel Moves, MedHealth Summit, Genomenon, TechTown, More

Let’s catch up on news from around Michigan’s innovation clusters: —The Midwest Growth Capital Symposium, held just outside of Ann Arbor on May 14-15, is in search of companies in the life sciences and tech sectors to pitch investors. The 36 selected companies will each have 10 minutes to present to an audience of potential … Continue reading “Roundup: Personnel Moves, MedHealth Summit, Genomenon, TechTown, More”

MEDC Leader Details Michigan’s Road to the Waymo AV Factory Deal

This week, Michigan’s economic development office notched a win when it announced that Waymo, Google’s mobility arm, had chosen the Great Lakes State as the location for a new manufacturing operation. According to a press release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Waymo will invest $13.6 million in a factory that will integrate Waymo’s … Continue reading “MEDC Leader Details Michigan’s Road to the Waymo AV Factory Deal”

Roundup: Accelerate Michigan, Waymark, ACM, Detroit FinTech Bay, More

The holiday season will soon be upon us, but that doesn’t mean work is slowing down in Michigan’s innovation hubs. Here’s a look at recent technology and entrepreneurship news from across the state. —The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, hosted by Invest Detroit’s ID Ventures on Nov. 13, announced the 2018 winners selected from a field … Continue reading “Roundup: Accelerate Michigan, Waymark, ACM, Detroit FinTech Bay, More”

Roundup: OptimizeRx, Parabricks, URC, Startup Detroit, ACM and More

The weather is finally starting to cool—I’m a fan of fall —but Michigan’s tech startups and entrepreneurs are still red-hot: they’re raising money, buying competitors and complementary companies, launching new products, and more. Read on for recent news about the state’s innovation community. —Rochester’s OptimizeRx, a digital health company focused on facilitating digital communication between … Continue reading “Roundup: OptimizeRx, Parabricks, URC, Startup Detroit, ACM and More”

State DOT Director Replaces CEO of American Center for Mobility 

The American Center for Mobility, the Ypsilanti Township, MI-based public-private entity developing and testing advanced automotive technologies, announced this week that it has parted ways with John Maddox, its president and CEO. Taking the helm on an interim basis is Kirk Steudle, the long-serving director of Michigan’s Department of Transportation. ACM did not give a … Continue reading “State DOT Director Replaces CEO of American Center for Mobility “

ACM Report: AVs May be Less Disruptive to Trucking Jobs Than Expected

The advent of autonomous vehicles is expected to drastically change the transportation industry and affect those who work in it, but perhaps not as significantly as once thought, according to a new report commissioned by the American Center for Mobility. The study, which looked at potential impacts over the next decade, was funded by Waymo, … Continue reading “ACM Report: AVs May be Less Disruptive to Trucking Jobs Than Expected”

Toyota Research Institute to Open New Driverless Car Test Bed in MI

The state of Michigan notched another mobility-industry win today when the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) announced that a 60-acre parcel in Ottawa Lakes, MI, will be the home of a new autonomous vehicle development and testing facility, the first dedicated exclusively to TRI’s use. TRI is Toyota’s research arm, which aims to enhance the safety of … Continue reading “Toyota Research Institute to Open New Driverless Car Test Bed in MI”

Applied Research Associates Teams with MSU on Autonomous Vehicle R&D

The Michigan State University Foundation, an independent nonprofit that supports the commercialization of university inventions, has a new tenant in its 300,000-square-foot corporate research park in East Lansing. Applied Research Associates (ARA), a contract R&D firm based in Albuquerque, NM, has moved a team to Michigan in order to support MSU’s autonomous vehicle research and … Continue reading “Applied Research Associates Teams with MSU on Autonomous Vehicle R&D”

MSU, Texas A&M to Study How Driverless Cars Affect Future Workforce

This week, the Ypsilanti Township, MI-based American Center for Mobility, in collaboration with AARP and Waymo, announced that it has commissioned a study on how autonomous vehicles will impact transportation jobs in the future. The study is being conducted by Michigan State University and Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute. According to a press release, the purpose … Continue reading “MSU, Texas A&M to Study How Driverless Cars Affect Future Workforce”

Detroit Auto Show Puts Big Focus on Mobility Technologies, Startups

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) kicked off this week in Detroit, allowing industry affiliates and media to get an early look before the show opens to the public this weekend. For the second year in a row, NAIAS highlighted the mobility sector’s potential business models and offered glimpses of how the trillion-dollar market … Continue reading “Detroit Auto Show Puts Big Focus on Mobility Technologies, Startups”

Toyota, Ford, Aptiv, Baidu Lead Crowd Pushing Mobility at CES

In the past, the tech conference CES has primarily highlighted consumer electronics and other cool gadgets, but as automakers continue their quest to be taken seriously by the tech industry, the Las Vegas show held every January has increasingly become the venue of choice for car companies that want to show off their latest autonomous … Continue reading “Toyota, Ford, Aptiv, Baidu Lead Crowd Pushing Mobility at CES”

American Center for Mobility Officially Opens, Announces 2018 Plans

There were times when American Center for Mobility (ACM) CEO John Maddox wasn’t sure it would happen on time, but last week, the first phase of the Ypsilanti Township, MI-based test bed officially opened on schedule after more than a year of construction. Two ACM members, Visteon and Toyota, also announced they would begin autonomous … Continue reading “American Center for Mobility Officially Opens, Announces 2018 Plans”

What Are the Nation’s Top Cities and Regions for Driverless Tech?

Whether you think self-driving cars are the stuff of science fiction or a potentially paradigm-shifting new form of transportation, autonomous vehicles are coming—and the companies developing them are spending big money to make it happen. A few years ago, industry analysts seemed to think Silicon Valley would win the race to get self-driving cars on … Continue reading “What Are the Nation’s Top Cities and Regions for Driverless Tech?”

Roundup: TechTown Awards, MCWT Competition, Detroit Initiatives, More

It has been a busy fall in Michigan, full of local tech and innovation news. Here’s a look at some of the recent announcements: —Earlier this month, TechTown Detroit hosted the Toast of the Town event to honor winners of its Salute awards, which recognize the best and brightest in the local startup ecosystem. The … Continue reading “Roundup: TechTown Awards, MCWT Competition, Detroit Initiatives, More”

ACM Partners with Academic Consortium to Train Mobility Workforce

As autonomous vehicles get closer to reality, several pressing issues loom on the workforce front. The development of self-driving cars requires specialized skills that are currently in shortage across the country. It’s also expected that certain professions will be disrupted by autonomous vehicles, and, as a result, those workers will soon need a new career … Continue reading “ACM Partners with Academic Consortium to Train Mobility Workforce”

Roundup: Kyyba Pitch Club, Hygieia, W. Michigan Startup Data & More

Here’s a look at startup news, business competition deadlines, new products, and more from around Michigan’s tech ecosystem: —Detroit’s WeWork location will host UPS’s X-Port Challenge, where startups can pitch their products or solutions and win up to $10,000 in export shipping credits. Each regional winner will then have the opportunity to participate in a … Continue reading “Roundup: Kyyba Pitch Club, Hygieia, W. Michigan Startup Data & More”

After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2

Detroit. There’s no mid-sized American city as revered, as iconic, as talked about as Detroit. That’s because no other city has symbolized America quite like it, or played a bigger role in shaping what we are as a nation. And the intertwining of Detroit with the future of America will become even clearer when it … Continue reading “After Staring Down Adversity, Detroit is Perfect Place for Amazon HQ2”

With $5M Investment, Toyota Is First Auto Co. to Back Mobility Center

As news reports this morning say that Toyota and Mazda are planning to open a new $1.6 billion U.S. manufacturing plant—location to be determined—Toyota is also making moves in Michigan. This week, the American Center for Mobility (ACM) announced that the Japanese automotive company  has ponied up $5 million to be a founding sponsor of the autonomous vehicle … Continue reading “With $5M Investment, Toyota Is First Auto Co. to Back Mobility Center”

Connected Cars, Cheap Rides, Deadlines to Apply & More MI Tech News

Here’s a look at tech and innovation news from around Michigan: —A University of Michigan startup called Cart is piloting a new service that offers low-cost rides to Detroit residents who want to go grocery shopping. Shoppers that live within five miles of one of Meijer’s two Detroit locations can pay $10 for a round-trip ride … Continue reading “Connected Cars, Cheap Rides, Deadlines to Apply & More MI Tech News”

Detroit Expansions, Tumor Sequencing, and More Local Innovation News

Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Avomeen Analytical Services, a research and chemical testing lab based in Ann Arbor, was recently acquired by High Street Capital. The terms were not disclosed. The 22-person company, which launched in 2010, does R&D and chemical analysis for customers in a variety of sectors, including pharma, manufacturing, … Continue reading “Detroit Expansions, Tumor Sequencing, and More Local Innovation News”

As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond

Mobility, in case you haven’t heard, is the up-and-coming tech buzzword driving the future of transportation. As defined by the auto industry, mobility refers to moving goods and people from point A to point B. This encompasses vehicles for personal use, fleet vehicles, public transit, ridesharing, bicycles, car-sharing, self-driving cars, planes, trains, and essentially any … Continue reading “As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond”

Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor

All anyone in the automotive industry seems to be talking about these days is the race to develop autonomous cars and new mobility applications. The announcement last month of a new $1 billion Toyota vehicle research operation in Ann Arbor, MI, is another significant milestone in Michigan’s quest to lead the nation in the development … Continue reading “Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor”