Every two years, political junkies begin to play their favorite parlor game, “Who’s Running for Congress?” Open seats in Congress are rare, however Michigan’s strictest-in-the nation term limits law not only forces legislators from office, but also opens opportunities for legislators to climb the next rung of the political ladder. The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Political Action Committee (PAC) has not made any endorsements for 2018, but below are legislators to keep an eye on as they look to advance their careers. 

If cities across the nation want to get “smart,” they will need smart talent to crunch data and design, engineer and install the technology to manage the local ecosystem effi ciently. Unfortunately, as industrial and civic leaders across Southeast Michigan know too well, that talent is few and high in demand.

It is impossible not to marvel at the tools that technology has put into the hands of consumers in the 21st century. Smartphone apps locate the nearest pizza joint, map the journey to its door, and measure the number of calories burned to get there. Automotive technology removes human error from parallel parking and lane changes. Cloud-connected devices remotely control home appliances and security cameras and send alerts to watches and phones.

As cities across the country increasingly focus on efficient ways to improve operations via technology, Detroit’s leaders are taking steps to stay ahead of the mark. The epicenter of the global automotive industry, Detroit is positioning itself to serve as a national model for mobility.

Smart cities are all the rage these days, the hot topic of conferences around the globe. High-profile competitions pit cities and regions against each other for bragging rights, government research dollars – and in the case of Amazon’s much-ballyhooed HQ2 project, a $5-billion investment and 50,000 jobs.

As innovators go, no company is more in tune with staying in front of the curve than the one that put the world on wheels more than 100 years ago. When Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Hackett, a visionary in his own right, took over the reins of the automaker in May 2017, he knew that to remain relevant in today’s changing industry replete with modern technology, the company needed a forward-thinking strategy — one that embraces the electrified, automated, shared and connected car of the future.

The self-driving car. It’s the hot topic across the globe in the automotive and technology industries – as well as cocktail parties. The number of opinions (and events) on the issue of autonomous vehicles are as long and varied as the Porsche options list. One can understand why. We’ve been promised the selfdriving car since the dawn of the jet age. (We are also promised the flying car, but that’s another story.) Today, that dream of being able to take a nap, check email (legally) or watch a movie on the way to work is apparently on the immediate horizon. Or is it?

North American International Auto Show showcases the future of mobility By Rod Alberts Detroit is where future mobility innovations meet the pavement. With the largest concentration of the world’s top automotive and technology executives, designers, engineers and thought leaders, the …