Southfield, Mich., February 02, 2009 – For the first time in its 114-year history The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) is solidifying its role in Michigan by launching the ESD Institute – a conduit for communication and ideas designed to bring together some of Michigan’s most formidable leaders to launch technical and business initiatives addressing private and public policies.
The Institute’s goal will be to identify initiatives then request comments from distinguished professionals and organizations from the private and public sectors. This will be followed by an Institute Symposium about the topic, which would generate a report or presentation that will spur action.
“The mission of the ESD Institute is to examine and assess the root causes and barriers to the implementation of innovation with unity, focus and choice,” explained Christopher J. Webb, JD, ESD Institute co-director. “There is no other institute in the region taking this on.”
The Institute is currently pursuing three technical initiatives related to the Clean3 in the fields of water, transportation, and energy and two business initiatives related to the Michigan Green Enterprise Zone and Best Practices for Innovation Attributes.
The first symposium on the Michigan Green Enterprise Zone will take place March 19 and 20, 2009 at ESD’s Headquarters in Southfield. The mission of the Zone is to attract new capital and industries to Michigan while enhancing existing sources of wealth creation and employment.
“The Zone would not use public funds as the primary driver and would concentrate on green technologies,” said Webb. “The Green Zone would be formed through enabling legislation in collaboration with Federal, State and local governments and other authorities.”
The Zone will focus on five innovations never before combined in Michigan, the United States or any other countries. They are: Legal Risk Mitigation, Technology & Invention, Labor/Management Relations, Quality of Life, and Governmental Structure and Regulation.
According to Webb, ESD is perfectly positioned to take on this challenge because of its longstanding in the community, its independent, objective and non-partisan make up, its high standards of technical quality, as well as the integrity, depth and diversity of the ESD board of directors.
The ESD Institute is housed at ESD’s headquarters in Southfield. It is run by Webb and David A. Skiven, retired, Executive Director of General Motors Worldwide Facilities Group.
For more information on the ESD Institute, visit www.esdinstitute.net or call 248-353-0735, ext. 112.
Founded in 1895, ESD is a multi-disciplinary society uniting engineering, scientific and allied professions to enhance professional development and foster excitement in math and science to produce our next generation of leaders. Serving this generation of engineers and fostering the next. For more information, visit www.esd.org.
