Detroit City Wire

Greater Detroit is rarely mentioned among leading urban innovation economies, despite its historical significance in technological manufacturing and corporate R&D. Richard Florida's recent study highlights the potential for a world-class Innovation Corridor between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Supported by entities like the Detroit Regional Chamber and the University of Michigan, this initiative aims to harness high-tech capabilities.

The region is well-positioned to capitalize on technologies such as advanced mobility, AI, robotics, and green energy. Corporations in Detroit and Ann Arbor invest over $20 billion annually in research and development, with universities contributing an additional $2 billion. New applied innovation institutes are emerging, including Michigan Central and Tech Town.

Detroit and Ann Arbor boast over one million knowledge workers. The University Research Corridor produces more than 100,000 undergraduates and nearly 50,000 graduate students each year. This educational output rivals that of established innovation hubs like Boston-Cambridge and the San Francisco Bay Area.

High-tech complexes often thrive by combining college town innovation with metropolitan economic resources. Examples include Silicon Valley's growth from Palo Alto and Stanford University, or Boston's tech growth driven by Harvard and MIT. However, Detroit and Ann Arbor have historically lacked the necessary connectivity between universities and industries—a gap now being addressed.

At a recent Detroit Policy Conference on January 23rd, regional leaders discussed strategies to leverage their assets through a proposed Innovation Corridor. This initiative aims to offer an alternative model to Silicon Valley's approach by integrating university R&D with industrial capabilities to create new industries while transforming existing ones.

Richard Florida emphasizes that this corridor could promote inclusivity by generating family-supporting jobs across broader community segments. His report "Competing at Scale: The Case for A Detroit-Ann Arbor Innovation Corridor" was supported by the Detroit Regional Chamber and the University of Michigan.

Florida is a visiting distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University and a visiting senior fellow at the Kresge Foundation.