Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new executive order establishing the Michigan Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Initiative to expand Michigan’s AAM capabilities, ensure safe integration across sectors, and position the workforce, manufacturers, and infrastructure as national assets. Four projects will receive over $4.1 million to support AAM research and infrastructure through the second round of the AAM Activation Fund.
Executive Directive 2025-X outlines a whole-of-government strategy to advance Michigan’s AAM sector, with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) leading implementation in partnership with agencies such as MDOT, the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, MEDC, LEO, DMVA, and ODAI, each tasked with promoting safe growth.
The four projects receiving funding include:
1.) CVS Health ($1,500,000 – Troy, MI) – Michigan will be the first state to support CVS Health’s drone initiative, which aims to leverage UAS to address critical challenges in healthcare. Through this program, CVS Health will collaborate with multiple stakeholders to test the use of UAS to deliver essential specialty medications to patients faster, simpler, and more environmentally sustainably.
2.) Traverse Connect ($949,000 – Traverse City and surrounding areas) – Building on Traverse Connect’s previous AAM project, which tested and scaled UAS for delivery of medical supplies and other critical healthcare services to improve rural health outcomes, this project aims to launch a new phase of UAS use. The goal is to enhance the transportation of vital medical supplies, laboratory samples, and essential equipment across Munson Healthcare’s network of clinics.
3.) Jack Demmer Automotive Group ($740,000 – Various Locations) – In partnership with DroneUp, Blueflite, and Airspace Link, the project will focus on using drones for the quick delivery of high-demand automotive parts within a 12-mile radius of Jack Demmer Ford dealerships. By utilizing drone delivery, the project aims to address current logistics issues caused by traffic congestion and workforce shortages in urban areas, such as metro Detroit, thereby creating a more resilient and efficient supply chain.
4.) University of Michigan ($1 million – Ann Arbor, MI) – The university will develop “M-Air,” an expansion of the Mcity public/private partnership, creating testbeds for AAM and UAS. M-Air will also support incubating, attracting, and nurturing aerospace startups, enhance student experiential learning from K-12 to graduate levels, and, with its industry partners, assist academic faculty in securing and winning large federal grants for the region. In collaboration with Michigan Central, M-Air will help establish a Detroit–Ann Arbor air mobility corridor connecting the Advanced Aerial Innovation Region at Michigan Central with a new hub to be based at the University of Michigan, forming a connected ecosystem for innovation, testing, and deployment.
The AAM Activation Fund builds on the state’s growing influence in shaping the future of the aerial mobility industry. Besides the initial round of funding for this program, the state recently hosted its first-ever Uncrewed Triple Challenge. This competition challenged participants to use unmanned, autonomous drones to transport a package across Michigan seamlessly. The event resulted in ABJ Drone Techniques’ SiFly Q12, a fully electric multirotor drone, setting a world record by completing the entire 63-mile course while carrying a 10-pound payload and withstanding wind gusts of up to 32 mph.
KEY QUOTES:
“Michigan has long been the center of American mobility innovation. Today, advanced air mobility is a new mobility frontier, presenting an opportunity for Michigan to demonstrate next-generation industrial leadership. As the global aviation sector grows rapidly, the United States must hurry to commercialize uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) technologies, strengthen critical supply chains, and reduce dependence on foreign manufacturing.”
Gov. Whitmer
“The new AAM Initiative, as well as the second round of grant funding, represents our commitment to advancing the future of mobility, beyond the automobile, to uncover new opportunities for the movement of people, goods, and information across land, air, and water. From delivering life-saving medical supplies to setting a world record for drone delivery, we are proud to continue developing aerial mobility solutions that will have a positive impact on Michiganders for generations to come.”
Michigan Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson
“Traverse Connect and its partners are honored to receive additional funding from the Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund for expanded use of uncrewed aerial systems for medical supply and sample delivery across Munson Healthcare clinics and facilities. Northern Michigan’s emerging aerial mobility hub of public, private, and nonprofit partners is driving innovation and economic opportunity, while developing solutions for local and statewide challenges.”
Warren Call, president and CEO of Traverse Connect
“The next frontier of mobility is moving from land to sky, where drones and electric aerial vehicles can transform how we move people and goods. Michigan Engineering’s M-Air partnership will play an important role in propelling the state to national leadership in advanced aviation technology and developing the workforce we need to sustain it.”
Karen Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering and a professor of mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering
