The United States Economic Development Administration recently announced that the Detroit Regional Partnership and its coalition of partners — including Ann Arbor SPARK — were awarded a $52.2 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge Award (BBBRC). The grant will fund five unique projects that will help the region and country maintain its global automotive leadership.
The Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) submitted the initiative under the branding of the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM). GEM recognizes the world is experiencing a once-in-a-century mobility revolution, and the greater Detroit region is poised to ensure the U.S. leads the way.
In a communication distributed by the DRP, its president and CEO Maureen Donohue Krauss stated, “Simply put, [the grant] will support workers, startups, and companies as they adapt to the new high-tech advanced mobility industry as it rapidly evolves.”
Through an inclusive and equitable lens, GEM will help southeast Michigan redefine every aspect of mobility — from the cutting-edge technology that moves people and goods in new and exciting ways, to creating quality new jobs and readying new sites for business.
“Our organization is excited to join the Detroit Regional Partnership in this initiative,” said Komal Doshi, Ann Arbor SPARK director of mobility. “We look forward to contributing to GEM by providing executive recruitment and retention as well as administering high-tech internship programs for mobility companies in southeast Michigan. Through these efforts, the region will further develop a talented workforce resulting in smart economic growth in service of prosperity for all.”
Led by one of the most diverse regions in the U.S., GEM offers the opportunity to create a national model for equitable economic growth and help secure the nation’s advanced mobility leadership – for generations to come.
Read the full American Rescue Plan Regional Challenge Awards press release.
