ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation has awarded $710,000 to eight early-stage mobility projects from Michigan universities.
The high-tech projects will tackle ways to increase the safety, sustainability and efficacy of transporting people and goods in order to meet market needs.
Recommended Videos
“The eight projects receiving funding this year through the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation reflect the diversity of advanced automotive technologies being developed at Michigan’s universities,” U-M associate vice president for research-technology transfer and innovation partnerships Kelly Sexton told Michigan News.
“These technologies hold the potential to fuel our region’s mobility industry in the years to come, and we are grateful to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for their support of this program.”
Seven of the projects were led by U-M researchers and the eighth was led by a researcher at Western Michigan University. Along with funding, the project researchers will receive mentorship from members of an oversight committee and Mentors-In-Residence from U-M Tech Transfer.
✉ Like what you’re reading? Sign up for our email newsletter here!
The projects will tackle eight different challenges including data-driven traffic signal-optimization, clean hydrogen production systems for fuel cell vehicles, replacing automobile paint pigments with layers of nanostructures, reducing costs of lightweight vehicles and scrap generation and working with battery degradation.
The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation accelerates the development and commercialization of advanced transportation projects. The one-year program advances university research into applications through funding, mentorship and industry guidance.
The hub is one of many in a network across the state and is funded by the Michigan Strategic Fund and administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
The program is open to researchers at higher education institutions, hospital systems and nonprofit research organizations within Michigan.