“PlanetM” Is Key Element Of Michigan Strategy To Shape Its Own Destiny Through Public-Private Partnerships, Part 2

Its home page on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) website asks, “What is Planet M?” And here’s their answer.

PlanetM is a partnership of mobility organizations, communities, educational institutions, research and development, and government agencies working together to develop and deploy the mobility technologies driving the future.

Next month, PlanetM will be front-and-center in fulfilling this ambitious mission when the 2019 North American International Auto Show opens at Cobo Center in Detroit. In Part 1 of this two-part feature, Saline Journal set out the stakes in what many believe will be not just the transformation of an industry, but of global society. Here in Part 2, we have continued to report on our discussion with PlanetM Business Development Manager Kathryn Snorrason — looking to the future.

Saline Journal: “What is the most important message that you’d like for PlanetM to convey at NAIAS 2019?”

Kathryn Snorrason: “PlanetM is a resource for mobility startups and companies of all shapes, sizes and locations. We’re here to connect the new players to the expertise and resources of the automotive industry, and what better place to do that than in The Motor City? Michigan is the global epicenter of the automotive industry.

Paired with our grant programs, matchmaking events and collaborative office space Detroit is the perfect place to build, validate and deploy new mobility technologies. At PlanetM, we’re all about collaboration and facilitating new partnerships that drive the mobility industry forward. To do this, we’re hosting matchmaking events and events throughout Automobili-D to facilitate connections between startups and corporations.

Saline Journal: “The word ‘collaborative’ in this space is anything but surprising here. In fact, it is used so often in connection with smart applications and mobility that it can sound cliché. Are constituent operators here truly that collaborative?

Kathryn Snorrason: “We believe we are collaborative through the programs and systems that have been created.

Last year PlanetM established 56 new partnerships leading to seventeen initiatives with our partners. The Landing Zone currently has 39 members, consisting of OEMs, startups and suppliers coexisting within the same space to collaborate on best practices. PlanetM has helped facilitate three city pilots — Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and Detroit — where various public, private and even philanthropic partners have come together to identify mobility challenges and deploy solutions to make it easier, safer and more affordable for Michiganders to move around.

We see PlanetM as a global mobility brand and have made it our intention to collaborate with global partners to develop global solutions.

Saline Journal: “At what point does or should ‘working so well together’ reach its limit, with competing interests needing to distinguish themselves from one another?

Kathryn Snorrason: “Once we are able to establish consistent legislation across the board, we will be able to start thinking about the limit.

There is still a lot of room to ‘working so well together,’ because this space is moving so quickly that a lot of people are rushing to find the first solution. Once there is more consistency established with policies and regulations you can start thinking about distinguishing oneself.

Saline Journal: “Let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture, expanding on your website brief. Although the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), of which it is a part is both well established and an important part of the business sphere, PlanetM’ marks its debut at June 1, 2016.

What do you think is the most surprising thing to most people, still, as they get to know PlanetM? [4]

Kathryn Snorrason: “We’re a unique state funded program with free business development resources for mobility companies to grow here in Michigan’s mobility ecosystem. Our goal is remain progressive and forward thinking to ensure Michigan’s mobility ecosystem continues to flourish, expand, and be the leader in connected and autonomous vehicles and technologies.

We recently launched the PlanetM ‘Startup Grants,’ the first of its kind, which invites global mobility startups to test and pilot their technologies in partnership with Michigan communities and testing facilities, including ACM, Mcity and Kettering University’s General Motors Mobility Research Center. We’ve awarded grants to HAAS Alert, RoadBotics, Derq and Humanising Autonomy, all of which are new to Michigan and currently collaborating with Michigan partners to solve real transportation challenges. [5,6,7,8]

The Landing Zone is another exciting feature of our program that spurs collaboration and innovation between established industry leaders and new faces. Located in downtown Detroit at the WeWork offices mobility startups work alongside corporations, including Denso and Bosch. [9]

PlanetM was a founding partner of a Detroit-based city pilot program called, Project Kinetic, a unique collaboration formed in January 2018 between the public (City of Detroit, PlanetM), private (General Motors, Lear, DTE Energy, Quicken Loans Community Fund, Bedrock Detroit, Boston Consulting Group) and philanthropy (New Economy Initiative) sectors.

Representatives from each of the organizations worked hand-in-hand for a 12-week period in early 2018 to brainstorm more than 120 innovative solutions to tackle some of the most pressing mobility challenges facing Detroit through new scalable business models. During this innovation sprint, the partners gathered feedback from over 100 residents and visitors to the City. Through this process, the parties learned a tremendous amount about the city’s mobility landscape and challenges that are part of daily life for Detroit citizens and are currently working to deploy six pilots in the City of Detroit.

Saline Journal: “Where and what will PlanetM be when NAIAS 2025 is held in Detroit?”

Kathryn Snorrason: “We’ll be bigger and better, as will the mobility ecosystem. Michigan’s mobility ecosystem will only continue to flourish with new partners and technologies entering the space. We expect to see autonomous vehicles on our roadways, drones in the air and hover boards roaming the streets.

PlanetM will be one of the organizations that helps spur those technologies by facilitating essential partnerships that continue to advance mobility and draw the key players to Michigan.

In the meantime, countdown to the 2019 North American International Auto Show is well underway, with Press Preview set for January 14 and open to the public January 19 through 27.

References

1. “PlanetM” Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
2. North American International Auto Show (home page).
3. “‘PlanetM’ Is Key Element Of Michigan Strategy To Shape Its Own Destiny Through Public-Private Partnerships, Part 1” Dell Deaton (December 27, 2018) Saline Journal.
4. “Gov Rick Snyder, state launches ‘Planet M’ campaign, positioning Michigan as global leader in mobility innovation” (June 1, 2016) Michigan.
5. American Center for Mobility (home page).
6. “Ann Arbor SPARK Event Truly Showed Attendees The Bigger Potential Of American Center For Mobility At Willow Run” Dell Deaton (July 10, 2018) Saline Journal.
7. “Mcity” University of Michigan.
8. “Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center” Kettering University (January 9, 2017) YouTube.
9. PlanetM Landing Zone (home page).