< Previous38 M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE lready a hub of aerospace and defense that generates $30 billion in economic impact, Michigan is adding additional resources to the sector to keep the state at the forefront of national security. In April 2024, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the state’s new Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation (ODAI) under the direction of Col. John Gutierrez, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.). The new office will build on Michigan’s Arsenal of Democracy legacy by attracting and supporting the latest in aerospace and defense projects. “Democracy is under threat on a global scale not seen since the Cold War,” said Gutierrez upon being named to lead the ODAI. “Recent events, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and China’s attempt to disrupt freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Straits, along with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, underscore the challenges confronting the United States and its Allied Nations. “Michigan, renowned as the Arsenal of Democracy and a beacon of industrial prowess, holds immense potential,” he added. “I look forward to working with government officials, business leaders, stakeholders, and partners to leverage Michigan’s defense and aerospace capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our nation and its allies at this decisive time.” THE MICHIGAN DEFENSE CORRIDOR AND STATEWIDE STRENGTH The Great Lakes State is home to 4,000+ aerospace, defense, and homeland security businesses with a combined workforce of more than 166,000. Macomb County, 20 minutes north of Detroit, hosts the Michigan Defense Corridor, a cluster of aerospace and defense A E RO SP A C E & D E F E NSE by M ARK AREN D REIMAGINING THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY A The Collins Center at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center can support more than 500 personnel for training and conference events Photo courtesy of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training CenterM I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 39 companies including BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, Oshkosh Defense, GM Defense, and Raytheon Technologies. More than 4,800 defense contracts worth $3.2 billion were awarded to Macomb County companies in 2024. In April 2025, Michigan secured a “game-changing” new mission of approximately 20 F-15EX fighter jets at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. These Boeing aircraft, which entered service in July 2024, are expected to replace the remaining F-15C/D fighters in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, further elevating Michigan’s national leadership in defense and aerospace. Another notable defense industry asset in the Michigan Defense Corridor is the U.S. Army Detroit Arsenal, which is home to several Army Commands and affiliate organizations. One is the Army Contracting Command- Detroit Arsenal, which handles Michigan is securing a “game-changing” new mission of F-15EX fighters at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, as announced by Gov. Whitmer’s office on April 30. The Boeing aircraft, which entered service in July 2024, is expected to replace the remaining F-15C/D fighters in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. With its legacy of serving F-16s and A-10s, Selfridge is well equipped to support a fighter mission, which includes not just aircraft but also auxiliary and support staff and materials. Pictured are the governor and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers. After the big announcement, the governor took the time to greet and thank the troops for their service to the country. Photos courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor40 M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 15,000 procurement actions worth $10 billion in obligations annually, according to the Arsenal. Also in southeast Michigan, AM General LLC, which produces specialized vehicles for military and other customers, sited its Technology & Engineering Center in Auburn Hills. ND Defense, maker of the ATLAS family of all-terrain vehicles with military-grade engineering, among other vehicles and battlefield systems, is headquartered in Madison Heights. Aerospace and defense facilities aren’t just clustered in southeast Michigan. In April 2024, the L3Harris Avionics Products Repair Station in Grand Rapids saw its efforts to work on Airbus Helicopters for European operators pay off when it became the first U.S. repair station to be certified to do so. In May 2025, the Michigan National Guard, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) partnered on the Uncrewed Triple Challenge competition to drive innovation in autonomous drone technology. Competitors demonstrated capabilities over land, air, and water in delivering defense, civilian, and commercial cargo. The competition began at Alpena Harbor off of Lake Huron, went through the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC), and ended at Camp Grayling, a military training facility in north-central Michigan. TRAINING FOR ANY SCENARIO Alpena CRTC, the largest military airspace east of the Mississippi River with 17,000 square miles of special-use military airspace, and Camp Grayling, the nation’s largest National Guard training installation, comprise the Michigan National Guard’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC). Its role is to provide training for the Department of Defense and other government agencies across land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains. Grayling is also where Saab is building a production facility that will employ 70 workers when complete in 2026. The facility will produce shoulder-fired munitions and precision fire systems. The Swedish defense, aerospace, and security company already has facilities in six other states. Why Michigan for the munitions plant? MORE THAN 4,800 DEFENSE CONTRACTS WORTH $3.2 BILLION WERE AWARDED TO MACOMB COUNTY COMPANIES IN 2024.M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 41 “The culture of Grayling is a great match for our company,” says Ben Decatur, senior public relations professional, Corporate Affairs, at Saab, Inc. “The local workforce will help fill jobs we aim to create, and there are local organizations we look forward to partnering with.” The new plant’s proximity to Camp Grayling allows Saab to engage directly with the company’s customers to better understand their needs and deliver exceptional products at speed, he relates. The state is also taking steps to ensure Saab’s success in Grayling, Decatur adds. How? “The MEDC and Michigan Works! will support Saab by providing hiring incentives, training grants like the Going PRO Talent Fund, targeted recruitment, veteran outreach, and custom workforce development strategies to build a skilled local talent pipeline,” Decatur explains. “Kirtland Community College will partner with Saab to create customized technical training, certifications, and apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing, ensuring a sustainable workforce aligned with Saab’s needs in Grayling.” COMPUTING FOR CRITICAL SECURITY PROGRAMS In December 2024, the Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved a $100 million grant for the University of Michigan to build a two-part, high- performance computing facility in Ypsilanti. The main center, led by Los Alamos National Laboratory, will conduct federally funded research in such areas as cybersecurity, energy security, national security, and artificial intelligence. The $1.25 billion project includes support from the University of Michigan and the state. “The data-intensive work we do at Los Alamos National Laboratory requires sophisticated and powerful computing resources,” said Thom Mason, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, at the grant announcement. “Our partnership with the University of Michigan will combine the capabilities of our two great institutions to further R&D for critical national security programs that utilize high- performance computing and AI, as well as other capabilities, such as advanced materials research and manufacturing.” Photo courtesy of DVIDS42 M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE f there is one company that embodies the future of manufacturing in Michigan, manufacturing technology solutions firm Andonix is it. When the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) launched the Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant program to help prepare small and medium-sized manufacturers to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies by 2025, Andonix became one of the recipients. The grant was part of an overall $110,000 in support that the firm received from the initiative, which also included additional funds through the Industry 4.0 Accelerator in 2021. 2025 has arrived, and Andonix has gone beyond adopting Industry 4.0. It’s I by A DA M BRUNS An Ecosystem Like No Other A D V A N C E D M A NUF A C T UR I N GM I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 43 made that adoption a core tenet of its blossoming business. “Since June 2021, Andonix has expanded on multiple fronts,” says Oliver Theiss, chief revenue officer at Andonix. “We opened our Detroit headquarters and joined Newlab at Michigan Central, an innovation hub that has quickly become a focal point for startups driving the future of mobility. Operationally, we launched our next-generation AI solution, AndiX, as part of our connected worker platform, enabling manufacturers to boost quality and productivity.” Along the way, the company has also grown its total headcount by 40%. “Our leadership team is proudly based in Michigan, with the remainder of our workforce operating remotely,” Theiss says. “In that same period (June 2021 to today), we’ve doubled our client base, moving beyond our initial focus on automotive into additional verticals like food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and machinery. Today, we serve customers in four countries, including the U.S. and Mexico.” The company’s partnership with the Industry 4.0 Accelerator has helped fuel that trajectory, he says. “Their funding and support helped us amplify business development efforts, ranging from trade show participation and PR to direct client introductions. Andonix has been featured in prominent media outlets, including Fast Company and Fortune, and was named a ‘Best Small Company’ in Michigan. Additionally, the company represented Michigan on a 2023 trade mission to Mexico.” Technologies eligible for the MEDC’s Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant program include hardware/ software related to the following Industry 4.0 categories, with preference given to transformative technologies (denoted with a * below): • Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials* • Artificial Intelligence* • Big Data • Cloud Computing • Cybersecurity • Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) • Modeling, Simulation, Visualization, and Immersion • Robotics/Automation* • Connected Worker Platforms and Wearables Over 2022-23, the program issued more than $5.8 million in grants across an astonishing variety of industries to 248 recipients in 50 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Among the companies are such names as Clips & Clamps Industries in Wayne County, Envision Automation in Cass County, World Magnetics Company in Grand Traverse County, Three Blondes Brewing in Van Buren County, Scientific Anglers in Midland County, and Orb Aerospace in Kent County. Even a glance at the top 10 counties by number of grant recipients offers a fair approximation of how widely and deeply Industry 4.0 has become embedded in the Michigan economy: IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INNOVATION Fundamental to Andonix’s operations is the introduction of OpenAI into its “Andi” and now “AndiX” personal digital assistant platforms to connect manufacturing workers with their machines, allowing them to quickly identify, track, and resolve operating TOP 10 COUNTIES BY TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS (2022–2023) COUNTY NO. OF GRANTS Oakland 30 Macomb 25 Wayne 21 Kent 16 Ottawa 14 Jackson 12 Berrien 10 Grand Traverse 9 Saginaw 8 Houghton 8 Frontline worker agents at the core of Andonix’s Connected Worker Platform digitize tribal knowledge, cut repetitive workflows, and deliver actionable insights, “reducing downtime, scrap, and labor inefficiencies,” says the growing company, which has boosted headcount by 40% since it received support from an MEDC grant program Image courtesy of Andonix44 M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE problems. So, as global manufacturing clusters go, how does Michigan’s stack up as a test bed and potential customer pool? “Michigan is home to some of the most advanced, best-run factories on the planet, operating complex machinery and systems,” Theiss says. “Access to these demanding production environments allowed us to refine and validate our AndiX AI agentic solution and, more broadly, our connected worker platform against the highest performance and innovation standards. The result is a technology proven to meet modern factories’ rigorous productivity, speed, and agility needs.” By being deeply immersed in Michigan’s manufacturing ecosystem, Theiss says, the company has developed and continuously improved its platform to generate real, superior value for clients operating in increasingly competitive and changing markets while also having a real sense for the needs of people working in factories. “As such, our mission has evolved to make our technology people-centric,” he says, “seeking to deliver value also for the workforce and not just for our clients who employ them.” That’s music to the ears of manufacturers, and a ringing endorsement for the attractiveness of a Michigan advanced manufacturing and technology ecosystem with few peers. SHINE LIKE A DIAMOND Critical partners in Michigan’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem are Automation Alley and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC), the official National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership representative in Michigan, closely affiliated with the MEDC. Through its five offices, the MMTC supports more than 12,000 small and medium-sized manufacturers who employ more than 410,000 people. “Approximately 51,000 openings for critical manufacturing jobs are expected per year between 2020 and 2030,” the organization stated in its 2025 annual report, “highlighting the need for comprehensive resources to help manufacturers streamline operations, address skills gaps, recruit and retain talent, and expand capacity to meet demands.” In 2024, 584 MMTC manufacturing clients reported more than $104 million invested back into their operations, more than $158 million in sales growth, and 4,949 jobs created or retained. Automation Alley is a nonprofit technology business association and Digital Transformation Insight Center that brings together industry, academia, and government. Among the newest projects with backing from both organizations is Project Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the GovernorM I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 45 DIAMOnD, which stands for Distributed, Independent, Agile Manufacturing on Demand. It’s the largest blockchain-enabled 3D printer network in the nation, comprising 300 connected 3D printers distributed to small and medium-sized manufacturers through its grant program. “The sheer number of printers, connected through optimal security technology, is democratizing Industry 4.0 application and accessibility for even Michigan’s smallest manufacturers,” says the MEDC. Most recently, the program expanded into Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties. “Project DIAMOnD was inspired during the dark days of COVID, born out of frustration about supply chain issues and dependency on overseas manufacturing,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter at the summer 2024 announcement of the program. “It is giving Oakland County businesses access to 3D printing technology and training that is allowing them to dramatically cut production time and costs, as well as keep manufacturing right here in Michigan. After our initial investment of $25 million over two phases, we are thrilled that Macomb, Wayne, and the State of Michigan are joining the program to make it a regional and statewide priority — and an opportunity for global competitiveness.” “Today’s co mmitment by Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties to expand Automation Alley’s Project DIAMOnD will help us grow our economy, lower costs for small businesses, and build out the ‘Infrastructure for Innovation’ we need to lead the future. ” — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, July 2024, announcing the expansion of the Distributed, Independent, Agile Manufacturing on Demand shared network of 3D printers for small manufacturers46 M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE ‘VIBE MANUFACTURING’ Automation Alley COO Pavan Muzumdar sees Project DIAMOnD as a signpost on the evolution of manufacturing from the process-driven industry we’re accustomed to seeing (“we bend metal,” “we form plastic”) toward a discipline based more on intellectual property. “Additive manufacturing is driving that change,” he says. Most manufacturers see themselves as process experts, not IP holders. However, as computerization and digital technology streamline the process and automate it, it’s the IP that remains. “Additive manufacturing takes away the manufacturability constraint,” Muzumdar says. It helps businesses like Unique Short Tree Design & Upholstery in Rochester Hills, which has used Project DIAMOnD support to create its own IP and compete on a level playing field. Just like the big 3D printing companies such as rocket maker Relativity Space and vehicle maker Divergent, companies like this “can now participate in the future of manufacturing,” he says. But there remains plenty of interest from corporate giants. “The reason Project DIAMOnD was designed was to be a replicable additive manufacturing system, attractive to a large organization too,” Muzumdar says, envisioning a company wanting to scale up production of components within a close- by ecosystem, build those components in parallel, and then aggregate them for assembly. “The other idea we’re thinking about is that, as import taxes are levied, a foreign entity can distribute its intellectual property on a network and produce it in the United States,” he says. “It’s the notion that once your design is developed and you have a smart product that is replicable, you don’t necessarily need to make it and ship it.” Muzumdar sees 3D printing flipping the script one day soon. Instead of being a third choice after manufacturing processes defined by forming or subtracting (machining), a generative AI tool will spit out a 3D design conceived for additive manufacturing first. He even has a new term for it: Just like “vibe coding” describes the new breed of computer coding where the human employs an AI to write the code, we’re soon going to see the advent of “vibe manufacturing or vibe design,” Muzumdar says. “Describe what you want, and the AI is going to come up with a model or design. Then you put it into your CAD software and take it from there.” Automation Alley COO Pavan Muzumdarichigan IS mobility. The Great Lakes State not only gave rise to the Model A and the Model T, but also laid the groundwork for automotive manufacturing as we know it. Companies that choose to operate in Michigan become part of a rich tradition and legacy, joining an ecosystem of competitive advantages in the global auto industry. From end-to-end supply chains and various international partners to a pro- business state government, Michigan presents automotive companies with a compelling case for expansion. Beyond building cars, Michigan has the infrastructure, technology, and talent to keep the wheels of global mobility turning. Look back over the past decade of corporate facility investments in the automotive space, and you’ll find Michigan right where you’d expect: out in front. Its leadership is visible in the data, reflecting a commitment to growth and innovation. by A DA M BRUNS M Why Michigan is Mobility Central M OB I L IT Y & A U T O M O TI V E M I C H I G A N E C ONOM I C DE V E L OP ME N T G UI DE 47 The famous Detroit Industry Murals of Diego M. Rivera surround visitors to the Detroit Institute of Arts with the powerful depth of the region’s mobility history Photo courtesy of Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry Murals, 1932-1933, frescoes. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Edsel B. Ford, 33.10Next >