Michigan state Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist has announced that four projects will receive USD6.25 million in total funding to scale critical AAM infrastructure and deploy pilots that will generate operational data to validate the commercial potential of key AAM use cases and help inform the state’s AAM policy. The funding will be provided through the AAM Activation Fund, a collaborative effort between the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) which aims to increase coordination across State entities and create a centralized pipeline of projects that can accelerate AAM readiness and growth in the state.
BETA Technologies has been granted USD2.6 million to install multimodal chargers at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Capital Region International Airport (LAN), West Michigan Regional Airport (BIV) and Willow Run Airport (YIP) to create a foundational intrastate charging network to support operations of next generation aircrafts and drive down costs for regional transportation operators.
Michigan Central will receive USD 2.45 million to scale digital and physical infrastructure to expand the capabilities of Advanced Aerial Mobility Region (AAIR) and launch a series of pilots in partnership with Newlab across use cases including building inspection for energy efficiency, middle mile movement of goods between manufacturing facilities, and movement of critical supplies on hospital campuses aimed at generating techno-economic data to accelerate the adoption of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations.
Skyports will receive USD512,168 to launch three proofs of concept with commercial partners, starting with ship-to-shore drone delivery services in Sault Ste Marie, MI and Detour Village, MI in partnership with Interlake Steamships, the operator of the largest privately held U.S.-flag fleet on the Great Lakes. The ship-to-shore pilot will validate the potential of drones to be used as an efficient delivery solution that can reduce emissions from anchored vessels and optimize maritime logistics in the Great Lakes.
Traverse Connect will receive USD689,500. In partnership with Munson Healthcare, DroneUp, blueflite, Northwestern Michigan College, Central Michigan University’s Rural Health Equity Institute, and Freshwater Research Innovation Center, the company will test and scale the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for use cases including delivery of medical supplies and other critical healthcare services to improve rural health outcomes. They will also test drones for use cases including marine surveying, water sampling and testing, bathymetric mapping, and emergency response support around the Lake Michigan area.
“The Michigan Department of Transportation continues to take bold steps in advanced aerial mobility infrastructure to drive innovation across Michigan,” said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich. “This new investment complements the state’s strategy to find safe and cost-efficient ways to capitalize on a robust network of aviation infrastructure serving Michiganders today.”
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(Image – Beta Technologies’ “Charge Cube.” Photo courtesy of Beta Technologies)