Big Start for Small Technology

By: Maureen Donohue Krauss,
Deputy Director of Economic Development & Community Affairs

When Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson created the Emerging Sectors® program about four years ago, it broke new ground for the staff of Planning & Economic Development Services. While we were certainly familiar with research and development companies in the auto industry, we had 10 new sectors to investigate and understand.

Our goal was to identify key information a company considers when deciding where to locate or expand. We compiled a list of companies that were already doing business here to bolster our case. We identified university research projects in Michigan that would be important to these companies and found existing organizations to support those sectors.

You must remember the competition to attract these companies is fierce. The hope was that over time, perhaps 10 years or more, we would have some success. But our results have been stunning.

So far, 67 companies have invested almost $1 billion and created more than 9,400 jobs. Just as importantly, 2,810 existing jobs have been retained in Oakland County.
As the initiative evolves, the Business Development Team is continually challenged to identify what makes Oakland County the most attractive expansion location for an Emerging Sectors company. A revolving loan fund? An incubator? Wet lab space? And most importantly, who pays for it?

We are thrilled to report that our education partners have been able to provide something that puts Oakland County on the map in the field of nanotechnology.
Oakland Community College (OCC) this month was awarded a $1.9 million grant to establish a Center of Expertise in Nanotechnology for Material Science. The grant provides for a fully-equipped nanotechnology lab and the faculty necessary to run it. More importantly, funds are included to train our existing work force as well as new employees in nanotechnology. The center will be located on the college’s Auburn Hills campus.

One of the things that we learned in talking to companies here and around the country is that they know where to find Ph.Ds in nanotechnology. However, there is a lack of qualified technicians in this industry. The new OCC Center is exciting because it will address this void. This will not be limited to nanotechnology companies but all companies that use nanotechnology applications. General Motors Corp., for example, receives more patents for nanotechnology than any other company in the United States as it strives to make the cars of the future lighter and more fuel efficient.  

The ability to provide a skilled work force today and in the future is the single most important benefit that a community can provide to businesses. Oakland County is proud of its highly-skilled, technical work force. The Center of Expertise in Nanotechnology for Material Science at Oakland Community College will ensure that this sector will stay and grow in Oakland County for many years to come.

For more information on Oakland County’s Emerging Sectors program please go to www.emergingsectors.org.