There’s a lot of brain power in Michigan’s research universities. And there’s even more when they put their heads together.
Three of them — Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University in Detroit — have been collaborating since 2006 in an economic development effort called the University Research Corridor (URC). Now, that research corridor has expanded into the U.P., with the recent addition
of Michigan Technological University.
Michigan Tech became eligible to join the URC when it was designated an R1 (Research 1) university in February by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The R1 designation is awarded to doctoral universities for excellence in research activities at the highest level.
Only 187 of the more than 4,000 degree-granting institutions of higher education in the nation are designated R1. Michigan now has four R1 universities: Michigan State, Michigan Tech, the University of Michigan and Wayne State.
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Andrew Barnard“Membership in the R1 ranks and the URC is a recognition of the amazing research that our faculty, staff, and students do every day and have been doing for many years,” said Andrew Barnard, vice president for research at Michigan Tech. “Joining the URC will give MTU a broader reach with state and federal lawmakers to continue to advocate for the impact MTU has in the U.P., state, region and around the globe.”
John B. Lehman, the university’s vice president for university relations and enrollment, agreed: “Joining the University Research Corridor allows Michigan Tech to amplify its impact across the state and beyond. We’re proud to stand alongside Michigan’s leading research institutions as we work together to drive innovation, strengthen industry partnerships and expand opportunities for Michiganders.”
That impact addresses many regional needs, including economic development and job growth. Commercialization of research and technology brings new businesses to the U.P. and helps existing ones expand. It enables Michigan Tech to attract top scientists and researchers to the U.P. and keep them here, where their work will spawn still more economic development.
The University Research Corridor is part of the Michigan Strategic Fund, which promotes economic development and job creation. When the URC was founded, its mission was “to work jointly to transform, strengthen and diversify Michigan’s economy” at a time when the state’s economy was bottoming out, heading into the recession of 2008. People and jobs were fleeing the state. From 2000 to 2007, Michigan lost 391,000 jobs. Higher education funding had been cut drastically.
Then-governor Jennifer Granholm and the presidents of Michigan State, the University of Michigan and Wayne State hoped that the URC could help turn this trend around.
The URC partners with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which funds some of its work. At the national level, the research corridor partners with the
State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), a national nonprofit focused on technology-based economic development.
Mark Skinner, executive director of the SSTI, sees the URC as a good way to overcome the barriers to collaboration that competition for research funding creates.
"An organization like the URC can facilitate connections and partnerships across universities, industry and business entities in the private sector,” he said. “That shared branding and focus can help usher in more sponsored research and more patenting, co-publication, and licensing opportunities for each of the URC members.
Skinner sees Michigan Tech joining the corridor's work as a smart move.
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Michigan Technological UniversityResearchers deploy data-collecting buoy on Lake Superior."It will simultaneously strengthen MTU and the other three university partners through closer collaboration with MTU, and it will boost Michigan's overall science, engineering, broader R&D and innovation competitiveness," he said. "The recent recognition of the strong research capacity and strengths of Michigan Technological University through the Carnegie R1 designation, coupled with URC membership, also will raise external private sector, foundation and federal awareness of the importance and value of MTU's work. It will be fun to watch how things grow from here.”
Ben Marchionna, chief innovation ecosystem officer at MEDC, said the economic development organization is delighted to welcome Michigan Tech to the URC.
"Michigan Technological University has long punched above its weight class in engineering and applied research, and its new R1 designation is a well-deserved recognition of that strength,” he said.
“We’re excited to welcome MTU into the University Research Corridor — Michigan’s premier academic research and innovation alliance," he added. "With the addition of MTU alongside Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State, the URC will expand its reach, deepen its impact, and further strengthen our statewide innovation ecosystem through increased collaboration, talent attraction and research-driven economic growth.”
Economic impact
The URC’s impact on Michigan’s economy is already huge.
In 2023, member universities contributed nearly $24 billion to Michigan’s economy, according to the group’s latest economic impact report.
“I’m excited to see our next economic impact report because it will include MTU,” said Britany Affolter-Craine, executive director of the URC.
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Michigan Economic Development CorporationBritany Affolter-Caine“Michigan Tech’s addition to the URC marks a pivotal moment, amplifying our collective strength and significantly deepening our impact on Michigan,” she added.
The Houghton-based university's strengths in engineering, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, mobility and environmental science complement and enhance the URC’s existing research leadership, she said.
"By combining MTU’s research excellence, commitment to industry and the URC’s established strengths, we will accelerate economic growth, create more opportunities, and deliver even greater benefits to Michiganders statewide," she said.
Michigan Tech’s location adds a key element that was missing from the URC.
“MTU is one of the very few R1 universities in a rural area, which adds the breadth of reach and depth of impact of the URC,” explained Affolter-Craine. She expects the addition of Michigan Tech will enhance Michigan’s presence worldwide.
“With four R1 institutions working together, Michigan shines even brighter as a global leader in research, talent development and innovation, making the state more competitive in attracting industry investment and top-tier talent,” she said.
The URC’s research is broad, including life sciences, advanced manufacturing and semi-conductors, artificial intelligence and sustainability. Michigan Tech will fill several unique niches due to its deeply forested location on the shores of Lake Superior, its heavy snowfall, and its focus on engineering and technology.
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Michigan Technological UniversityResearchers at Michigan Tech are studying how snow affects solar panels and their ability to create power.For example, a researcher in the College of Engineering is testing and optimizing solar panels to work in snowy conditions. The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science is working to produce mass timber construction materials, using the plentiful hardwoods in the area and cross-laminated technology. The university’s Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) is studying the impact of climate change on nearby Lake Superior. The GLRC also led a risk analysis of the Line 5 pipeline in the eastern U.P.
Santa J. Ono, chair of the URC executive board and president of the University of Michigan, called Michigan Tech’s addition to the research corridor “a natural fit."
"MTU’s world-class research and deep expertise in engineering, technology and environmental science will amplify the URC’s ability to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing Michigan and the world," Ono said. "Together, we are better positioned than ever to support economic growth and innovation throughout the state.”
Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP, the lead regional economic organization for the U.P., is excited about the new opportunities that Michigan Tech's partnership with the URC will bring to the U.P.
“With its R1 designation, the nation and beyond will know what the Upper Peninsula has long known — that Michigan Tech is a national leader in engineering, advanced manufacturing and sustainability research and a catalyst for innovation and economic growth in our region," he said. "By joining forces with Michigan’s other R1 universities, they’ll open even more opportunities to attract investment, develop groundbreaking technologies and prepare the highly skilled workforce our industries need.”
Will joining the URC change the way Michigan Tech does research?
No, said Vice President Barnard. “We will continue to do research the Michigan Tech way, focusing on basic and applied research that leads to innovations that support industry and the public. We do that through an emphasis on hands-on education and research solving real-world problems. That's what got us here and what will continue to propel us forward.”
Jennifer Donovan is a reporter with more than 40 years of experience on daily newspapers, magazines and university writing and editing. She is retired as director of news and media relations at Michigan Technological University and lives in Houghton.