MICHIGAN BECKONS: THE STATE OPEN TO HIGH-TECH BUSINESSES AS WELL AS SAVVY GUESTS
Innovative, hospitable & diverse: Michigan is a land of opportunity with a lifestyle to match
The birthplace of the American automotive industry and home to a diverse and welcoming population, Michigan is one of the country’s fastest-growing destinations for companies in high-tech sectors such as clean energy and semiconductors.
Ranked by CNBC as a Top 10 State for Business, Michigan is successfully building on its automotive heritage and positioning itself as the natural leader in next-generation technologies for mobility and transportation.
“We are focused on clean energy and on non-fossil fuel sources of propulsion whether it be electric vehicles (EVS) or hydrogen fuel cells,” says Quentin L. Messer, Jr. the CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
In 2020, the MEDC established an Office of Future Mobility and Electrification—and the results have been spectacular. In the last two years, Michigan has secured $16 billion of projects for EVS, batteries, semiconductors and clean energy. Standout wins include a $2.36 billion battery plant from Gotion and a $400 million electrolyzer gigafactory from Norwegian hydrogen company Nel Hydrogen.
As a global epicenter of the chip-intensive car manufacturing industry, and hailed as the next Silicon Valley for automotive technologies, Michigan also has a rapidly growing semiconductor ecosystem.
In addition to successful homegrown businesses such as Hemlock Semiconductor Operations, the largest producer of polysilicon in the US, Michigan has attracted significant investments from outof-state companies including graphite materials supplier Mersen USA and semiconductor designer indie Semiconductor.
High-tech employers benefit from a strong supply of talented young workers out of top-ranked public institutions such as the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and leading private colleges like Calvin and Kettering.
To help grow Michigan’s talent base and upskill the workforce for fast-growing industries, the MEDC has created Talent Action Teams (TATS) for mobility and semiconductors. Working with businesses and training providers, these teams match jobseekers to employers and help students develop high-quality career paths. Major Michigan industry employers are represented on each TAT.
“We want to ensure that the young people who come to Michigan can see themselves staying here for a significant part of their professional lives,” Messer says.
With a lifestyle to envy, thousands of miles of freshwater coastline, and picturesque university towns such as Ann Arbor and Marquette, the Great Lakes State is also one of the most popular places in the country for a staycation.
As well as enjoying endless opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and boating, visitors can explore celebrated attractions such as magical Mackinac Island and the world-famous Detroit Institute of Arts in Michigan’s most populous and most vibrant large city.
Above all, it is the authenticity and hospitality of Michiganders that make millions of people come here every year to work, rest and play.
“We are seeing more and more people coming to Michigan for professional, entrepreneurial, and lifestyle opportunities,” Messer says. “No group of people will make you feel more welcome than Michiganders.”