The Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan Central announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at expanding next-gen aerial mobility and drone technology to Detroit.
It's called Detroit's Advanced Aerial Innovation Region, and the goal of the collaboration is to bring startups, high-skill jobs and new commercialization and adoption of drone technology to the Motor City.
The initiative is the newest announced by Michigan Central, the campus surrounding the Michigan Central Train Station in Corktown.
The region will cover a three-mile radius around Michigan Central, and it will provide open, shared infrastructure services to enable commercial drone development.
Drone operators will have access to concept and operation support, and they will focus on safety, regulatory challenges, tech equity and more by testing potential commercial drone. uses like medical supply delivery, consumer goods delivery, infrastructure inspection and more.
Michigan Central will provide resources for the infrastructure and MDOT will manage the network and define the parameters.
“This first-of-its-kind collaboration will be the framework that puts Detroit in the fast lane for advanced aerial innovation and job creation,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, Michigan Central’s chief operating officer. “As we start launching pilot projects next year, we will prioritize ideas that bridge equity gaps, improve safety and make it easier for people to access the goods and services they need.”
“Michigan is on the cutting-edge of mobility innovation, and with the launch of the new Advanced Aerial Innovation Region in Detroit, we will continue leading the way,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This new initiative is the result of an effective partnership between Michigan Central and the Michigan Department of Transportation. Michiganders have always been pioneers in the mobility space and now, we are taking to the skies, finding new ways to use next-generation transportation to deliver medical supplies, food and so much more. Let’s keep getting it done.”
