A look back on this week’s economic development headlines, announcements, and other share-worthy news from the Ann Arbor region.
Upcoming Events
- Job seekers can connect virtually with Ann Arbor-area companies at this year’s Tech Homecoming.
Watch the Tech Homecoming video!
COVID-19 Resources
- We’re partnering with Washtenaw Community College and Washtenaw County to launch the Renew program, a 10-week course to help companies in Ypsilanti pivot through the pandemic. Applications are due Friday, December 4.
Regional Updates
- Ann Arbor SPARK presented its pitch about regional Opportunity Zones and released its new Opportunity Zone prospectus.
- University of Michigan’s research budget hits $1.62 billion. Related: Our partners at UM’s Business Engagement Center published their annual report here.
- Kelly Sexton, SPARK board member and University of Michigan Associate Vice President for Research — Technology Transfer and Innovation Partnerships, is a guest on the Tech Transfer IP Forum Podcast.
- Check out the “Steel Topping” ceremony at KLA’s new building in Ann Arbor.
- How a hot market for exits, plus a pandemic, led Llamasoft to a $1.5 billion deal it couldn’t refuse
- Best Practice in Partnership: Toyota and U-M connect on critical issues facing our community
- Cisco’s Duo Security reports a big increase in the adoption of security technology due to working from home requirements.
Around the Mitten
- Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Protect goes on sale this month in 4,400 CVS stores around the country to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Business Leaders for Michigan released a report on how university-led economic development affects our state. “Most of the institutions we studied mentioned economic development goals in their strategic plans, but several universities, especially WSU, have centralized and prioritized them.”
- Michigan #3 in Foreign Direct Investment, Detroit metro #1, according to Site Selection Magazine.
- Midwest Rising: MEDC partners with Forbes to showcase the startup scene around the state.
Food for Thought
- The Unexpected Boom In Startups “The third quarter of 2020 is the highest quarter of applications we’ve ever seen.” The largest area for new business creation is online retail.