Advanced Manufacturing

The Detroit Region is home to a vast community of cost-effective talent. Local companies benefit from the highest concentration of engineering talent in the U.S. as well as the most commercial and industrial designers in the country.

• 224,088 Assembler & Production Workers, 2023
• 90,048 Engineers, 2023
• 87,000 Tech Workers, 2023

Click to explore advanced manufacturing related occupation groups in the Region:

Source: Lightcast (formerly Emsi)

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA is one of the densest and largest engineering hubs in the United States.

The Detroit MSA ranks #1 in the U.S. for total Assemblers & Production jobs and has the lowest job turnover rate. Detroit MSA ranks #3 in the U.S. for total Engineering jobs & jobs LQ.

Companies locating in the Detroit Region can quickly tap into the extensive higher education pipeline to meet their talent needs.

Use the below list and map to explore key programs, assets, and facilities. Click on the map markers for more information.

Data Sources: Lightcast (formerly Emsi), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

The Detroit Region is home to a vast community of cost-effective talent. Explore how local companies have benefited from the Detroit Regions talent pipeline to meet their talent needs.

Explore some of the industry related business organizations, resources, and events available to companies and their employees in the Detroit Region:

•  Automation Alley  - World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) and a nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center located in Troy, Michigan with satellite offices across the Detroit Region.
•  Association for Advancing Automation (A3)  - the largest automation trade association, representing more than 1,100 organizations involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision & imaging, motion control & motors and related automation technologies
•  IACMI/LIFT  - operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII), is nonprofit 501(c)3 public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense, industry, and academia.
•  INTEGR8 Industry 4.0 Conference  - an annual conference in Detroit that brings together thousands of professionals and industry leaders to take action on the smart and connected technologies rapidly transforming advanced manufacturing across industries.
•  Automate Conference  - the largest solutions-based showcase of automation technologies in North America with 500 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees. The show will be held at Detroit’s TCF Center from 2022-2025.

The Detroit Region is one of the few locations with demonstrated expertise in taking new ideas fully from concept to production. Companies that partner with the Detroit Region have full access to the capability, talent and assets of our ecosystem.

Regional Defense Assets:

• The Detroit Arsenal (DTA) - TACOM: Army Contracting Command responsible for the acquisition support for many of the Army's major weapon systems and ensures warfighting readiness
• CCDC: The U.S Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Ground Vehicle Systems Center operates the United States Armed Forces research and development facility for advanced technology in defensive ground systems
• Selfridge Air National Guard Base – Home to the Michigan Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Army Reserve, Army National Guard and active-duty Coast Guard units and is one of the largest joint Reserves Forces in the U.S.

The region’s robotics ecosystem is made up of globally known companies, innovative start-ups and world-class integrators

Metro Detroit is #9 in the U.S. for artificial intelligence and machine learning over 1,000 patents issued in 2023

Metro Detroit is #1 in the U.S. for deployed industrial robots, with more than 15,000 in 2018

Michigan leads the nation for deployed robots and is national hub, with more than 28,000 making up 12% of the nations total industrial robots in 2018

Map shows Industrial Robots per Workers among U.S Metro, Brookings 2017

Electric Vehicle production in the U.S. is centered in the Midwest, and Michigan ranks #1 for number of EV Supply Chain Plants in 2022.

Michigan ranks #1 for energy job growth, with more than 35,000 energy jobs added in 2021.

Michigan ranks #3 for announced clean tech projects at 18 in 2022, which created nearly 10,100 new jobs.

40 EV Battery related supply chain related companies in the Michigan

There are nearly 200 EV/HEV component suppliers operating in Michigan.

  Battery and Clean Energy Press Release 

Map shows the Planned North American Battery Plant Capacity by 2030

 NextCycle Michigan  – Designed to connect entrepreneurs, companies, organizations, and communities to technical support, financial resources, and capacity building for recycling, recovery, and reuse initiatives.

 Next Energy  – Based in Detroit’s growing innovation district with access to a microgrid, smart home, EV charging infrastructure and an alternative fuels platform, working with innovators to accelerate smarter, cleaner, more accessible solutions for communities and cities.

 SustainabiliD  – A woman-​owned, ​service-disabled veteran ​operated, Detroit based diverse small business working with gamechangers to equitably solve the climate crisis. Partnered with global corporations, think tanks and major universities, national laboratories and philanthropy, global manufacturers, funds, DEI leaders, climate tech and accelerators.

 Centrepolis Accelerator  – The Michigan CleanTech Hardware Scaling for Success program supports Michigan-based entrepreneurs and small businesses developing cleantech hardware products or processes that provide an energy efficiency or energy waste reduction benefit.

$52.2 Million Mobility Grant awarded to DRP's Signature Program Initiative GEM by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

GEM Research has convened a Mobility Technology Study to identify and project the impact of the changing mobility technology sectors on the Detroit Region and National Market by 2030.

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Use the map to the right or click below to explore some recent manufacturing investments in the Detroit Region. Click on the map markers for more information

The  Detroit Regional Partnership  offers confidential, no-cost assistance to domestic and international companies interested in investing in the 11-county Detroit Region. We specialize in helping companies understand and access the competitive advantages of our region - from workforce data to state and local incentives.

DRP Services:

• Single Point of Contact
• Regional Data
• Connections to Key Partners
• Incentives and Talent Assistance
• Building Site Analysis

The Detroit Region provides a highly-competitive business case for any investment project. Michigan ranks among the top 10 states for new and expanded facilities due to a new, simpler, and more competitive corporate income tax.

#8 Top State for Business, CNBC Ranking for Business Friendliness and Top for Technology / Innovation, 2024.

#12 Best State for Business Tax Climate, Tax Foundation, 2023

#5 Lowest Marginal Tax Rate, U.S. News and World Report 2024

#7 Lowest UI Tax Liability, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Tax Component

• 6% Corporate Income Tax
• 6% Flat Sales Tax
• 4.25% Personal Income Tax