Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019 - 9

PlanetM Grants
Mobility startups have access to more than $1 million
in grant funding thanks to a PlanetM program that
is among the first of its kind. Through PlanetM Pilot
Grants and PlanetM Testing Grants, startups can receive
assistance in testing and deploying their technologies
on Michigan's roadways - within closed and real-world
environments - with the goal of making transportation
easier, safer and more affordable for Michigan residents.
"This grant program allows companies to focus on
testing and deploying their technologies in Michigan
instead of worrying about costs and logistics, which
are two of the biggest hurdles for mobility startups,"
said Amanda Roraff, Director, PlanetM, the state
of Michigan's mobility-focused brand and business
development program. "We encourage mobility startups
of all stages, sizes and locations to leverage our robust
ecosystem alongside automakers, suppliers and
technology companies."
To date, there have been three rounds of grant winners
identified, with many already deploying demos of their
pilots throughout the state, including Bedestrian -
which is deploying autonomous delivery vehicles onsite
at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn - as well as Derq, a
Dubai-and-Detroit-based traffic safety startup, and HAAS
Alert, a first-in-the-nation complete citywide digital alert
system in Grand Rapids.
Through statewide challenges and grant opportunities,
Michigan is driving the next generation of transportation;
but grant awards are just one way in which the state
is encouraging innovation and technology testing
and deployment in Michigan. Thanks to a partnership
between the city of Grand Rapids, the state and nine
Michigan companies - led by startup May Mobility -
the public can now catch a ride on a fleet of autonomous
vehicles (AVs) in Grand Rapids through July 2020 as
part of the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative
to better understand the usage of autonomous vehicles
in a city environment, from enterprise opportunities to
infrastructure needs.

As a way to help address continued skepticism around
the safety of autonomous vehicles, users of the May
Mobility fleet are encouraged to post about their
experiences and AV sightings on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram using the hashtag #AVGR.

Michigan is also working with its early-stage
entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Michigan
Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC)
Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub at the
University of Michigan. This hub supports future mobility
solutions and technology being developed at universities
around the state, including a project that could reduce
internal combustion engine fuel consumption through
the use of a turbulent jet ignition system, as well as one
that could minimize consumers' unnecessary personal
trips by developing a high-efficiency, high-density drone
delivery network.
Michigan is proud to continue its legacy as the epicenter
of mobility through public-private partnerships and
initiatives that test and pilot technologies driving the
future of transportation.
To learn more about the opportunities available
in Michigan's ecosystem - including the people,
places and resources dedicated to the evolution of
transportation mobility - go to
planetm.com/test-and-pilot.
http://www.planetm.com/test-and-pilot
Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019

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