Detroit plays host to inaugural Mobility Week

Next week in Detroit, Mobility Week will make its debut, bringing together more than 25 events across the city aimed at connecting startups, automakers, investors and policymakers around transportation technology and manufacturing.

Organizers say the inaugural gathering will include technology showcases, policy forums, pitch competitions and networking events across multiple venues that demonstrate why Detroit is known as the ‘Motor City’. The program is intended to promote collaboration on topics including manufacturing, supply chains, advanced aerial mobility, maritime and ground transportation, and commercialization of mobility technologies.

Aimed at highlighting “The city’s legacy and future as a hub for transportation innovation” according to event information, Detroit’s role as the historic center of U.S. auto manufacturing is central to the program. The city is also a site of growing activity around robotics, autonomy and electric vehicle production, a frequent theme throughout the event programming.

Mobility Week arrives at a pivotal moment for the mobility sector. Disruptions to global supply chains, recent policy changes and a push to onshore production have prompted vehicle makers and suppliers to rethink sourcing and manufacturing footprints, creating potential opportunities for localized production within the U.S. At the same time, investors - in Michigan and elsewhere - seem to have tightened scrutiny of capital-intensive mobility startups favoring proven business models in the sector, according to Oliver Wyman. In response, the organizers of Mobility Week aim to bring together the players who can “de-risk innovation, unlock resources, and drive forward innovation with strategic alignment”

The event will feature venture-backed startups in the mobility space, major OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, national and international investors, as well as local and federal policymakers, and academic and research institutions. A coalition of regional and national partners is backing the initiative; decentralized programming allows outside groups and companies to propose events under the Mobility Week umbrella.

Events will take place across the city and metro area of Detroit, while Michigan Central and the Newlab space on its campus will both feature several activities. Newlab is a 270,000 square foot hub that describes itself as “a venture platform for critical technology startups transforming core industrial sectors.” It opened on the site in April 2023, with the re-opening of the former Michigan Central Station building - following extensive renovations - taking place taking place in June of last year. “Mobility Week is proof that when startups, industry, government, and communities come together, we can accelerate solutions that improve how people and goods move,“ Mark de la Vergne, director of economic innovation and policy at Michigan Central said in announcing the event. 

Detroit has increasingly emphasized its role in developing innovative mobility solutions in recent years, with public and private investments focused on EV supply chains, autonomous vehicle testing, and repurposing manufacturing capacity. Federal incentives and state programs aimed at reshoring critical supply chains and boosting domestic semiconductor and battery production have intensified interest in Michigan as a manufacturing location. Mobility Week can align with that momentum, offering a concentrated forum for deal-making, policy dialogue and technology demonstrations.

The program’s decentralized model means schedules and locations will vary; if you’re aiming to attend then event listings and registration information are available on the Mobility Week website.