According to a report released by MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University last Wednesday, high-tech manufacturing holds the hope for Michigan’s economic future. The three universities make up the University Research Corridor, or URC, which commissioned the advanced manufacturing study that was prepared by East Lansing-based research organization Anderson Economic Group.
It should be said the collaboration between schools to invest in Michigan’s future always is a good thing. Institutions of higher learning have some of the most qualified researchers on the cutting edge of their respective fields. If they’re cooperating with each other, rather than competing, advances in technology and skills will come that much quicker.
It is even better to consider that the former powerhouse industry of Michigan will be a significant factor in the future. Retraining individuals who already have a background in manufacturing probably will take less time and money than training those same individuals to do something in the film industry. However, there could be problems with the definition of advanced manufacturing.
The report itself raises some eyebrows. It says advanced manufacturing employs more than 380,000 Michigan citizens.
That might be a bit misleading. Automation Alley’s Annual Technology Industry Report from 2008 — also compiled by the Anderson Economic Group — shows employment in advanced manufacturing as 32,453. The difference in number can probably be attributed to changes in criteria between the URC and Automation Alley reports. In the Automation Alley report there are 11 sectors under advanced manufacturing including aerospace product and parts manufacturing, as well as industrial machinery manufacturing.
The URC report has more than 40, including office furniture, beverage manufacturing, bakeries, tortilla manufacturing and engineering services. This isn’t to say the report is wrong, but perhaps it paints a rosier picture of manufacturing than might exist. Either way, the question remains: “How do we take advantage of this industry?”
Even if there is, as MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon puts it, “a terrific future in Michigan for high-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing,” the question still lingers as to whether there is a place for Michiganders. Workers would have to be trained either by the state or by universities, both of which are attempting to cut back on expenses. Even though the URC spent more than $1.4 billion on research and development in 2007, there still is the problem of what to do with the workers who were laid off during the decline of the Big Three automakers.
Research and development are good — essential, even — but without people to work those jobs, it seems the end results will benefit university prestige more than the residents of the state.
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