Infrastructure is the foundation of our economy and of modern society, but it is often taken for granted until it fails to work. Michigan and the nation made big investments in infrastructure in the 20th Century, which are starting to show their age and are overdue for improvement.

During the past five years, URC institutions conducted $1.64 billion in infrastructure-related research and initiatives in the fields of water, mobility, energy and communications. R&D efforts that spanned more than one of those categories equaled $274 million.

This fall, the URC launched an Infrastructure Innovation tour throughout the state of Michigan, with expert teams visiting various communities to discuss issues and opportunities related to infrastructure and its role in daily life. Issues in focus include: water infrastructure in Monroe, rural broadband access in Sanilac County, roads in Macomb County, agriculture and water in Southwest Michigan, the Soo Locks and shipping/commerce in Sault Ste. Marie and an overall tour recap in Detroit. Join us on the tour, and follow along here: urcmich.org/infrastructure-tour/