The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification will be headed up by Trevor Pawl, named as the US state’s chief mobility officer.
The US state of Michigan has formally launched its Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and named Trevor Pawl as chief mobility officer.
The new office will work across state government, academia and private industry to build Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility and electrification policies. It will also support the start-up and scale up of emerging technologies and businesses.
The creation of the OFME recognises the changing landscape for automotive manufacturing and the need for a comprehensive state-wide approach to help government, education and the private sector succeed in an evolving mobility industry.
The state is also targeting new jobs related to mobility and electrification as part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s strategic plan to create long term economic opportunity throughout Michigan.
Developing a holistic state-wide approach to mobility and electrification is also seen as critical in helping the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that Michigan strengthen opportunities for economic growth and job creation while securing our continued leadership in mobility and electrification through forward-thinking policies, innovative partnerships and smarter infrastructure,” said governor Gretchen Whitmer.
She added: “Trevor has a proven track record of building and scaling state programmes like Pure Michigan Business Connect and PlanetM. He is the right person to bring Michigan’s mobility ecosystem together under a common vision and generate meaningful results.”
"Michigan put the world on wheels, and as we move into the next generation of transportation technologies, we need to assure we remain the global hub for the mobility industry”
Pawl previously served as senior vice president of business innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) where he led the State of Michigan’s economic development programmes focused on the future of mobility (PlanetM), supply chain (Pure Michigan Business Connect), entrepreneurship and international trade.
The OFME will focus on six objectives:
“Michigan put the world on wheels, and as we move into the next generation of transportation technologies, we need to assure we remain the global hub for the mobility industry,” said Trevor Pawl, chief mobility officer.
He added: “The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification will leverage our competitive advantages to make sure our state isn’t only a place where mobility solutions are born, it’s also where companies will find long-term success and support.
“While Michigan remains an undisputed leader in mobility, there is more work to be done, including increasing the state’s share of electric vehicle production, building a stronger pipeline of software engineering talent, and leveraging technology to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities.”
There have been nearly 10,000 fatal automobile crashes in Michigan in the last decade – 94 per cent attributable to human error.
PlanetM is a partnership of mobility organisations, communities, educational institutions, research and development, and government agencies working together to develop and deploy the mobility technologies driving the future.
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