Michigan launches challenges to accelerate Advanced Air Mobility in the State

The Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) recently announced the launch of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Statewide Mobility Challenges, with support coming from partners NextEnergy and Newlab Detroit. The initiative hopes to integrate drone technology into various state government operations to resolve real-world issues, improve operational efficiency, and stimulate public and private sector adoption.

According to the announcement, the program invites proposals from interested organizations to leverage drones for enhanced data collection, situational awareness, and public service delivery. Requests for these initiatives come from state agencies including the Michigan State Police (MSP), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Additional agencies are anticipated to launch further challenges soon.

This effort aligns with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Executive Directive 2025-4, which was signed in July and established Michigan's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Initiative to expand the state’s AAM capabilities. The directive emphasized the opportunity to leverage the state’s manufacturing prowess, engineering expertise, and infrastructure to help position it as a leader in the national AAM landscape, supporting the safe and efficient integration of these innovative technologies within both public and private sectors. It also complements federal efforts to advance drone technology dominance in the U.S. and workforce development in an effort to sustain long-term industry growth.

Governor Whitmer highlighted how the economic and technological expertise of Michigan’s mobility heritage could be leveraged for innovation and economic growth in the announcement, saying “we have a century of mobility heritage on wheels, and now, companies from around the world are coming to Michigan to take to the skies. Together, we’re going to support this growing industry, strengthen our domestic supply chains, and create more good-paying, local jobs.”

Applicants for the challenges do not need to be based in Michigan, provided they can outline a clear plan for growth within Michigan. 

Each agency's proposal request targets specific solutions:

The MSP is seeking an advanced drone detection system to identify, locate, and catalog drone activity in real-time, supporting security at prisons, public events, and training sites.

The DNR aims to modernize aerial operations by replacing drones that are not National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant and adding vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing mapping drones. These upgrades are aimed to enable safer, more compliant wildfire monitoring, forest health assessment, and large-scale mapping, delivering faster and higher-quality data while reducing personnel risk. 

MDOT plans to deploy a next-generation road intelligence platform utilizing connected vehicle data combined with drone observations to provide real-time traffic and infrastructure awareness. 

EGLE is seeking AAM solutions to expand real-time air and water sensing, enabling flexible on-demand deployments post-incident, and automating data collection for improved coverage and decision-making. 

These challenges complement the $6.25 million in funding that the state allocated last year to support four projects aimed at scaling critical AAM infrastructure and deploying pilots that generate operational data to validate commercial potential. This funding, provided through the AAM Activation Fund - a collaboration among MDOT, OFME, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) - is designed to enhance coordination and further propel Michigan's AAM readiness and industry growth.

OFME also partnered with Michigan State University last year to support the MSU Indy Autonomous Challenge team, PoliMOVE-MSU. This partnership offers students practical experience with the latest connected and autonomous vehicle technologies and aims to engage K-12 students via events, tours, and race visits, nurturing the future mobility workforce.

These strategies are intended to position Michigan as a national leader in advanced mobility solutions, in an effort to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and deliver innovative solutions for the state, our Midwest neighbors beyond.