TALENT ATTRACTION
Students at the Michigan State University College of Engineering designed and built two cars that were showcased in the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year. MSU’s solar-powered car, Leonidas, was built by the MSU Solar Team. The team’s project manager, Ali ElSeddik, is an electrical engineering major that has been involved in the program for two years.
The other car, known as SR14, was designed and built by MSU’s Formula Racing Team. The team, made up of about 25 primarily undergraduate students from across the university, engages in a “design, build, race” project cycle that sees the projects from start to finish, including the design of a vehicle, procurement and fabrication of parts, prototype building and vehicle testing.
I think certainly there has been an uptick in entrepreneurship in the state, and I think a lot of that is owed to the URC getting more involved in economic development in the last 10 years.
The University Research Corridor showcases Michigan’s world class universities, economic competitiveness, and scientific breakthroughs being made every day in our state. This innovative partnership is creating jobs, fostering relationships with all types of businesses, from our largest corporations to smallest entrepreneurial businesses, and driving innovation in all sectors of our economy.
The URC is an incredible asset for our industry, state, and citizens in terms of the scale of R&D conducted at its universities in critically important areas. Medical and healthcare discoveries with the potential to improve and save lives position Michigan as a top state for innovation in the life, medical and health sciences.