Part of the United States Marine Corps motto is “no man left behind.”
In its own way, Macomb County is incorporating that time-tested desire to take care of everyone
into its master plan to prepare and equip businesses in the community for the digital manufacturing age.
Bringing all companies into the digital manufacturing age is paramount not only to the survival of each individual business, but also the future of Macomb County and the state of Michigan. A business must be agile and understand the available state-of-the-art technologies that can transform their company to compete globally now and into the future.
The fourth industrial revolution (4IR, or Industry 4.0) is happening now. Businesses must adapt or be left behind. Industry 4.0 is the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices, using modern smart technology.
The Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) is committed to helping companies of all types to expand their use of Industry 4.0 technologies through various awareness campaigns showcasing Industry 4.0 in action and in workshops.
Fortunately, in 2021, MCPED was able to receive an Industry 4.0 Regional Programming Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to roll out its I4.0 awareness campaign.
During our department’s initial awareness campaign to introduce I4.0 technology to local manufacturers, we created a website called Macomb Next. The goal of the website is to help our businesses educate themselves and learn more about the pillars of I4.0 and begin to implement smart technology.
The initial feedback from our business community suggested that implementing any of the I4.0 strategies would be a struggle. The costs associated with the implementation process, the time to retrain employees, and the lack of employees caused by the labor shortage all played a part.
Thanks to the grant, both assessment readiness (provided by the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and Automation Alley) and I4.0 training were made available to businesses in the community. As a senior economic developer for Macomb County, it is an important part of my job to direct companies to the available programs that will support them, move them into the future and keep them competitive with both domestic and international competitors.
With the help of the grant, MCPED was able to host two Industry 4.0 Workshops – the first in fall 2021 at Macomb Community College, and the second in spring 2022 at the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township.
In early May 2022, MCPED received another MEDC grant, which will continue to help Macomb County businesses adapt to and utilize 4.0 technology. The grant program will provide 50% reimbursement to Macomb County businesses for qualifying I4.0 technology costs up to $25,000.
Macomb County has a long history of collaborating with Automation Alley. In 2020, Macomb County helped fund, launch and qualify 50 companies to participate in an initiative called Project DIAMOnD (Distributed Independent and Agile Manufacturing On Demand), which awarded each company a 3D printer, programming, and training support. In exchange, participating companies were asked to stand ready to help in the case of an emergency.
In early April, Project DIAMOnD members were called to quickly produce tourniquet clips on their 3D printers as part of a larger project to build and assemble tourniquets for wounded military and civilians who have been injured in the war in Ukraine.
The project showed how quickly 3D printers can fill gaps in the supply chain and how a high number of parts can be produced quickly, with no time wasted on tooling. Through Project DIAMOnD, our partner companies not only participated in a much-needed humanitarian effort, but they also learned the value of modern smart technology.
In 2022, it’s all hands on deck to build resilience in small, medium and large businesses in Macomb County, southeast Michigan, and all of the state to prepare for the future, integrate machines, invest in technology, and train and upscale employees.
All so that no company is left behind.
Todd Seibert is a senior economic developer for the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development. Todd can be reached at todd.seibert@macombgov.org