It's an off time for many in the business and political world, with much focus placed on holiday shopping, friends, family, and New Year's Eve parties. The news cycles are equally slow too- if it weren't for the Gaza crisis, we would be relegated to hearing endless analysis of the Blago scandal and shirtless pictures of Barack Obama.
In the interest of spicing things up a bit, I wanted to throw out a new idea for investing in Michigan's economic future. Sure, hybrid car batteries and solar/wind turbine production is great, but what about an industry that not only draws down lots of private sector dollars, but also federal dollars? The sector I am talking about is aerospace.
Michigan has what it takes- several good schools with aviation technology programs (WMU, etc), many established airfields (mostly former military airfields anyways), large-scale heavy industrial capacity (and a ready-to-work labor force too). Lots of related products are produced in Michigan already in terms of on board systems for both civilian and military aircraft.
These areas will be even more important as we look at the continued push to explore 'the final frontier': space technologies have historically created very long-term, high-paying, stable jobs that help attract the finest minds in the entire planet to an area. Just look at Coca Beach.
It is not unprecedented to pursue private sector space companies either. While the industry is arguably still in its infancy, New Mexico has had great success attracting investment in spaceport construction by partnering with Virgin Galactic, and has made many overtures to the commercial satellite industry.
The capability for cost-effective launches of traditional rockets requires that a location be closer to the Equator, something Michigan is, regrettably, not (to the chagrin of anyone who has spent the winter here). However, with three of the world's leading universities within one hour of each other, placing design, command, and administrative services in Michigan would give companies an instant in to some of the best educated workers on the planet.
Governor Granholm said she would go anywhere and do anything to bring jobs to Michigan. It may be that the location that needs her focus is not on earth, but above it.
