The state believes the sector will see jobs added back at a slower pace if it doesn't embrace the new sensor technology, Bridge Michigan reported. | Unsplash
The state believes the sector will see jobs added back at a slower pace if it doesn't embrace the new sensor technology, Bridge Michigan reported. | Unsplash
A $25 sensor on a stamping press, which could measure vibrations and send alerts when it needs adjustments, could persuade Michigan manufacturers to invest in the technology, which Michigan officials believe could help boost competitiveness in the sector.
The sensor would be able to detect mistakes in manufacturing sooner than a person would notice them, Bridge Michigan reported. This would help manufacturers out, especially since mistakes are often costly in the sector.
“It’s costly to make a mistake in manufacturing,” Tom Kelly, CEO of Automation Alley, told Bridge Michigan.
The Michigan Economic Development Council is hoping to get 6,200 small and midsize companies to invest in the upgrades by 20205.
“We know through our extensive research … that Michigan companies continue to be vulnerable to disruption from automation across the manufacturing sector,” Mark Burton, president and CEO of the MEDC, told Bridge Michigan.
He said the new technology can help protect the "vital industry," especially since the manufacturing industry generates approximately 20% of the state's gross domestic product and is a top employer in the state as well.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector did lose approximately 64,000 jobs, but economists at the University of Michigan expect 31,500 of those jobs to come back in 2021 and an additional 17,500 in 2022.
The state believes the sector will see jobs added back at a slower pace if it doesn't embrace the new sensor technology, Bridge Michigan reported.
The Michigan Economic Development Council said its five-year strategic plan, which began in 2019, identifies why it makes sense for small and midsize businesses to invest in the technology. The council said the manufacturing sectors are "where Michigan has distinct competitive advantage," Bridge Michigan reported.
Kelly said many of these businesses aren't used to turning toward technology, which is why a plan was approved for the council to invest in statewide outreach and advertising.
“We have to make manufacturers aware of this disruption that’s building all around them,” he told Bridge Michigan.
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