Guest Editorial Nigel J. Francis
Senior Vice President, Automotive Office Michigan Economic Development Corporation Member Since 2013
smeSpeaks
Manufacturing Continues Its Resurgence in Michigan and Beyond
I
t’s an exciting time to be in manufacturing, particularly in the state of Michigan. What many may not know is that Michigan’s leadership in automotive design, engineering and manufacturing is unparalleled—it has 61 of the top 100 North American auto suppliers and 70% of auto R&D spend- ing right in its own backyard. There’s also a greater concentra- tion of workers in auto-related engineering occupations than any of the other top vehicle-producing states. Michigan’s au- tomotive industry directly supports 15% of the workforce with more than 500,000 jobs, which represents 22% of US auto industry workforce; these numbers are growing daily. For each direct automotive job, there are approximately three more jobs created supporting that direct automotive job in the supply chain and communities where the business operates and indi- vidual workers live. The strong comeback in the automotive sector is driving the strong comeback in the state of Michigan. Because manufacturing and the auto industry are so important to the state of Michigan, in 2013, the Michigan Eco- nomic Development Corporation (MEDC) established its new Automotive Office, which I currently oversee as its senior vice president. I am also the automotive advisor to the governor of Michigan. The mission of the MEDC’s Automotive Office is “to implement and execute a comprehensive strategic plan to drive Michigan’s automotive industry forward.” To do this, its strategic priorities need to evolve and adapt to both disruptions and new opportunities. Through the strategic plan- ning process, three priorities were identified for Michigan: 1. Technology that is globally best-in-class; 2. World-class talent attraction and retention; and 3. Access to the right capital resources at the right time.
To deliver on these priorities, seven initiatives were identi- fied by the MEDC for its Automotive Office as keys to success.
• Marketing and Branding—Using the Pure Michigan campaign, a marketing and communication strategy needs to be designed and developed to attract addi- tional auto industry manufacturers to Michigan.
• Talent Development and Attraction—New programs and services need to be established to help meet the pres- ent and future talent needs of the auto industry.
• Strategic Convening—An advisory structure, in collabo- ration with the auto industry, needs to be established to focus resources, vision and implementation activities.
• Collaboration Networks and Infrastructure—Statewide engineering collaboration centers need to be created that focus resources identified in the strategic plan.
• Policy and Legislation—Provide policy development and analysis with focus on auto industry strategic priorities.
• Business Development Alignment—Leverage Michigan business development strategies for the auto industry and serve as its expert resource for identifying high-po- tential attraction and growth opportunities for the state.
• Capital Attraction and Deployment—Michigan’s capital access strategies need to be aligned with priorities for the auto industry and identify resources that support Michigan assets with potential funding programs. Both Detroit and Michigan thrive on innovation with an auto industry that has always been at the forefront of creativ- ity and technology. Ultimately, to be successful, Michigan must continue to lead vehicle development and output to
May 2014 |
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