Michigan Economic Development Corporation issued the following announcement on May 20.
From K-12 schools across the state to nationally recognized universities, Michigan’s young talent and research expertise is coming together to support an Arsenal of Innovation in the face of COVID-19.
When the novel coronavirus outbreak began in Michigan in March, businesses of all sizes and all industries began working around the clock to support the state’s response efforts, from retooling production lines to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to pivoting technologies to support testing efforts. But Michigan’s ‘Arsenal of Innovation’ extends beyond the manufacturing floor or testing labs, as the state is home to the highest concentration of engineering talent in the nation and ranks in the top 10 nationally for the number of STEM graduates. As a result, the state’s education network – from universities and community colleges to K12 school districts and after-school clubs – have answered the call in recent weeks to protect and support Michigan’s frontline public health workers.
Higher education helps hospitals, researchers take response efforts to the next level
As an alliance between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University, Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) is familiar with leading groundbreaking research efforts, as it is responsible for conducting nearly all academic and federally-funded R&D in Michigan. Now, the URC is leveraging its extensive research and talent pipeline to support response and recovery efforts. The foundation for this effort lies in all three university presidents being medical doctors as well as serving on Governor Whitmer’s Michigan Economic Recovery Council, a group of health care and business leader experts advising the governor on a strategy to safely re-open the economy. Together, URC universities have moved more than 1,000 health care professionals to the frontlines , either through spring graduations or by allowing students to enter the workforce early due to the heavy demand.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation
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