The Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) encompasses 11 diverse counties across southeast Michigan. This nonprofit serves as an economic engine in the Detroit region, fueling business development and attracting companies and investments from around the world. Ann Arbor SPARK is proud to be a part of this partnership; our mission to advance the economic success in Ann Arbor aligns with DRP’s efforts to attract, retain, and grow businesses in southeast Michigan.
Recently, DRP released a report detailing the advanced manufacturing activity here to serve as a data-driven analysis of the types of businesses in this key industry sector that are thriving as well as the factors driving their success. Key findings in the report include:
- The Detroit Region is one of only 12 advanced manufacturing hubs in the world and the only one in the United States.
- This region ranks #1 in industry talent concentration among top U.S. metros.
- The Detroit region is #1 in industry talent affordability among top U.S. metros, based on average wages in 2019.
- In industry job growth, the region ranks #2 among top U.S. metros, 2015 to 2019
Of particular note is the report’s findings that the region ranks as the top U.S. metro for mobility, tech, and auto manufacturing jobs. This ranking is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK’s own research, which spotlights the Ann Arbor region’s strong automotive industry sector. Approximately 100 automotive firms are in Washtenaw County, with the largest sectors related to component manufacture and research. For context, the state employs 1,176,924 people in the automotive industry, twice as many as second-place Ohio. Michigan is also the number one state for automotive R&D spending at $11.8 billion annually.
To read DRP’s full report, visit the organization’s interactive website. To read Ann Arbor SPARK’s Automotive Technology and Mobility Industry report, visit our website.
