- 40% of the research and development in Michigan takes place in Oakland County
- Oakland County is on track to have 70% of its population holding a certificate or degree in 2025.
- Regional transit took one step forward with Oakland County having SMART services across the whole county.
David Coulter on Building Oakland County’s Innovation Culture
January 23, 2025
Key Takeaways
View the full session recording below.
David Coulter, Oakland County Executive, addressed the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference to give an update on Michigan’s wealthiest county.
“A key part of the success of Oakland County is the density of high-paying technology jobs,” said Coulter.
“Did you know that 40% of the research and development in Michigan takes place in Oakland County?” he asked. “In the same way we help our businesses navigate the bureaucracy for state and federal resources, we will assist our R&D companies to take full advantage of these new incentives.”
Oakland County, in partnership with the Detroit Regional Chamber, played a critical role in passing legislation in December 2024 that created a research and development tax credit in Michigan. The county will be deploying 14 business consultants who will advise businesses on incentives and how to best utilize all public assistance.
Additionally, Oakland continues to be an innovative county that has engaged in aggressive education goals, known as Oakland80. Their goal was to increase their population from 61% degree-holding to 80% by 2030.
“Three years ago, we started 61% of our population [had] degrees or training. And when we get our annual report in the fall, I’m confident we will have surpassed the 70% mark.”
Lastly, to continue to build out the county’s innovation economy, Coulter focused on bringing new talent to the area. One of the aspects that he is focusing on is transit, saying that young people want transit options that aren’t cars.
“I’m proud to say that we’re on the path toward building better public transit in Oakland County thanks to voters who supported a countywide millage in 2022 and our local transit providers.”
Coulter concluded his time by noting the welcoming community that Oakland County boasts, from diverse communities to wide-ranging career opportunities. By having different approaches to every problem, the county is able to address gaps that they find and fill in the needs of business.