- Detroit and Ann Arbor must combine their innovative assets to create an Innovation Corridor and compete with leading hubs like Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas.
- R1 Universities and higher education institutions, business, and philanthropy organizations must work together to create a unified, organized innovation ecosystem.
- A statewide strategy of policy and funding combined with regional organization and implementation will help kickstart this ecosystem.
Baruah: Why the Detroit Region Must Be a Hub of Innovation
January 23, 2025
Key Takeaways
View the full session recording below.
Detroit Regional Chamber President Sandy K. Baruah opened the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference by highlighting how the Detroit Region is and should continue building an innovation economy, leveraging Detroit’s legacy of innovation.
Detroit’s Legacy—and Future—of Innovation is Rich
Baruah first reminded the audience that Detroit’s rich legacy of innovation is deeply embedded, citing the city having the first Patent and Trademark Office outside of Washington, D.C. He said that historically, innovation in the Region was driven by industry and was largely proprietary.
However, Baruah explained that the current landscape is evolving towards a more open innovation dynamic that fosters collaboration, especially between companies and postsecondary education institutions. Such partnerships include Michigan Central Station and New Lab, the University of Michigan Center for Innovation, Bedrock Gratiot Site Innovation District, and Henry Ford Health-Michigan State University Health Sciences Center.
“We have our own innovation for generations … our innovation of the past was largely corporate-driven, proprietary, siloed,” he said. “Now, we’re moving into a new phase … And what’s happening with these new centers is that these are open innovation centers where high-fly entrepreneurs are going to be given free rein to prosper and innovate and to connect to our major established companies as partners and as customers.”
An Innovation Corridor From Detroit to Ann Arbor and Beyond
Baruah emphasized the need to build an innovation economy by establishing a Detroit-Ann Arbor Innovation Corridor. This would unify all key assets—business, philanthropy and higher education institutions—into a cohesive and powerful entity.
Related: New Report Highlights the Importance of a Detroit-Ann Arbor Innovation Corridor
“We can do this in the Detroit Region. We just have to invent our version of what we know that already works,” he said. “And with these incredible R1 universities and other higher education institutions, our great companies, and the amazing philanthropy that we have in this state and Region … we couldn’t be in a better situation.”
Baruah suggested that this corridor could expand one day to establish a bi-national innovation region, encompassing Michigan and Ontario, from Ann Arbor to Toronto. This vision aims to leverage the strengths of both regions, creating a collaborative ecosystem driven by innovation ecosystem. Anchored by R1 universities and higher education institutions, the region would be further supported by business leaders, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs.
“That’s the ecosystem we need to build,” he said. “The power of that kind of innovation ecosystem that is organized and that is producing all sorts of results: financial, innovation, equity. That’s what we’re looking for, and … our regional effort needs to tuck in underneath that and [statewide organizations] need to support each other, and we’re really glad that it’s actually happening as we speak.”