Michigan mobility officer details state plans for drone technology, development

➤ The state of Michigan is integrating advanced aerial mobility technologies, including drones, into public and private sector operations as part of a recent executive directive.

➤ The state is aligning drone manufacturing and eVTOL development with existing automotive capabilities and fostering partnerships with startups and universities.

➤ The state is establishing metrics to evaluate the impact of drone technology on economic development, job creation and public safety.

Once the home of Motor City, Michigan is working to position itself as a leader in advanced aerial mobility by integrating drone and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technologies into its economic framework. The state capitalizes on its strong manufacturing heritage to diversify its automotive sector while fostering collaboration among public and private sector partners. By focusing on data-driven outcomes, Michigan aims to quantify the benefits of these technologies, such as job creation and enhanced public safety. S&P Global Market Intelligence interviewed Justine Johnson, senior vice president and chief mobility officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corp.'s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, about how Michigan is utilizing emerging transportation technologies to enhance emergency response, shore up supply chains and improve public health.

What follows is an edited transcript of MI's conversation with Johnson.

S&P Global Market Intelligence: Is there anything you're seeing from the big automakers based in Detroit regarding their foray into the autonomous vehicle space, or other innovations?

Justine Johnson, senior vice president and chief mobility officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corp.'s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification Source: Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Justine Johnson: Yes, on July 17, the governor signed an executive directive. A big part of that executive directive focuses on advanced aerial mobility — or drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing. This is a statewide approach to how we are thinking about integrating advanced air mobility into public and private sector operations. From technologies to deployments, we are thinking about positioning our workforce and manufacturing opportunities in drone and eVTOL manufacturing. We have been really focused on how this industry continues to complement a lot of the auto industry.

We have demonstrated our ability to diversify the skill set of the auto industry. During World War II, the auto industry supported the manufacturing of wartime equipment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the auto industry transitioned to building ventilators and personal protective equipment to support the healthcare industry. This is another really great opportunity for the auto industry to continue to diversify. A lot of the parts and components needed to manufacture a drone are similar to those required to manufacture a car.

What are some of the new ways drones are being deployed in Michigan?

When we talk about safety, we refer to the use of drones as first responders. How can first responders utilize drones in a way that helps them gain situational awareness even before they get to the site to understand what's going on? How can drones be used to collect vital signs of someone who may be injured or hurt? How can drones be effectively used in search and rescue operations, such as locating a boater or someone who is swimming? Drones can go out very quickly to do search and rescue if they receive word that a person's radio is not working.

We're also looking at drones through the lens of critical infrastructure, such as inspecting bridges and buildings. Those are important areas where drones can be utilized. On the agriculture side, we are looking into how drones can be used for crop analysis, pesticides and seeding. And you think about the public benefit, which is access to fresh and healthy foods and ensuring that our farmers can effectively manage their crops. There's also autonomous logistics, like how drones are used in warehouses — how drones can help a supplier understand parts or pieces that may need to be fulfilled in the warehouse. We have a program called the Advanced Aerial Mobility Activation Fund, and one of the recent grantees from that fund, Jack Demmer Ford Group, is using drones to move parts and pieces between its different dealerships and suppliers.

Then there is the medical or health delivery aspect. How might drones be used in a rural setting? Specifically, we are doing something with Munson Healthcare Inc., which was awarded funding last year. The organization is utilizing drones to help with laboratory tests. When a patient arrives, their lab samples are collected and transported by drone to various locations across the medical campus.

Was there anything specifically that you identified that helped you strengthen your safety standards or make the regulatory environment more efficient for drone deployment in Michigan?

We have been focusing a lot on making sure that, as a state, our strategy and goals are aligned with what is happening at the federal level. Essentially, anything that flies above a blade of grass is under the authority or jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration. It is important for us to make sure that we are aligned, especially as we share information about different pilots and programs with our counterparts at the federal level. It's the same thing for the US Department of Transportation.

Are there data points that you highlight to show stakeholders or other observers what is working with respect to drone deployments?

The grant program I mentioned — the Advanced Aerial Mobility Activation Fund — is only in its second year, so we are learning a lot along the way. We are building out those metrics, but we always go back to our north star: what are the desired outcomes we want to see with each of these activations? For example, from an economic development perspective, we will look at the number of high growth companies that have been attracted or companies retained in state. If they are building cars right now, can they transition to building other things? And then you also think about the pace of commercialization. How quickly are we creating opportunities for companies that are looking to commercialize and scale? We think about talent, and is the talent getting the opportunity to be tooled and re-skilled? We then look at social impact, which could be anything from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to educating the public about what's happening. Lastly, we really want to make sure policies are in place so that our policies and regulations, broadly speaking, do not prohibit companies from coming here.

Is there anything else you wanted to highlight about emerging mobility tech in Michigan?

The thing that makes Michigan so unique, especially in advancing mobility, is that we have a manufacturing base that is truly unmatched. We have an ecosystem of innovation, and it is continuing to grow and evolve. When we think about the auto industry, what we did in the state of Michigan was to mass-produce a vehicle that literally transformed the way the rest of the world moves and continues to move. We are doing the same thing with the advanced air mobility revolution. We are continuing to see the sky as our next pathway for the future, and we are really building it from the ground up.

Can you elaborate about the coordination required between the various public and private partners in this space and how you approach global supply chain challenges or other headwinds?

We work very closely with various stakeholders, including industry incumbents and academia. We also work very closely with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs when thinking about our defense assets that we have in the state, and ensuring that veterans are included in this larger opportunity. We have early stage companies, and that is where we have grant funding programs to help them build, test, deploy, scale and commercialize their innovations. We have a prototype grant program that helps people develop hard tech. This prototype program is in partnership with Centrepolis Accelerator, which enables someone to transform an idea into a tangible product. All these different types of collaborative moments are helping drive this growing ecosystem.