The Detroit Mobility Lab has signed a partnership agreement with the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corp. to create a bi-national mobility partnership. As part of the effort, supporting companies on both sides of the border can expand into new markets to create the most powerful mobility node in North America.
This partnership is designed to provide one-on-one support to mobility company founders and CEOs working on foreign direct investment projects, provide access to business development workshops, and virtual and physical space to facilitate networking.
“We are building this region into the most valuable center for mobility in North America,” says Chris Thomas, co-founder and president of the Detroit Mobility Lab. “This announcement with the WE EDC brings yet another key partner into the fold, which will allow us to provide an unparalleled mobility ecosystem to any legacy automotive company or mobility start-up in the world.”
With a target of working with more than 50 companies, the partnership will assist mobility-focused start-ups and small- and medium-sized enterprises within the Detroit/Windsor-Essex region. Through the working relationship between WE EDC and DML, members will receive resources, support, and information on how to scale and grow within the U.S. and Canada.
This agreement will allow DML members exclusive access to information on conducting business in Windsor-Essex and provide an opportunity for Windsor-Essex mobility start-ups to leverage networks in Detroit. It is hoped this bi-national partnership also will encourage international mobility companies to further explore the advantages of the Detroit/Windsor-Essex region as a global destination to start and grow a business in the mobility sector.
“This partnership is about taking a proactive step to leverage our strategic location with Detroit, Michigan,” says Stephen MacKenzie, president and CEO of the WE EDC. “We often talk about the Windsor-Essex region benefitting from our proximity to Detroit and this partnership is an actionable step leveraging our combined strengths and assets to build a global automobility brand.”
The Detroit/Windsor-Essex region has a growing mobility hub, already working on advancements in electrification and automotive technology.
This partnership expects to leverage the long-standing relationship that the two communities have developed through more than a century of supply chain management and expand the opportunity to include academic and technology adoption for the existing automotive development and assembly ecosystem.
