DETROIT ? Four Southeast Michigan economic development groups reported Wednesday that their joint efforts have created 7,225 technology jobs as well as 225 tech companies that have gone on to secure more than $300 million in follow-on investments.
The groups – Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator and TechTown Detroit – which came together in 2010 to form the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan. Each a designated SmartZones by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
As a result of their collective efforts, strategies for each accelerator are now set together to maximize program diversity and reach; best practices are shared to improve business outcomes; and clients are managed as an integrated portfolio to ensure faster delivery of future services, as entrepreneurs often move from accelerator to accelerator as their business matures.
?BANSEM accelerators continue to act as a catalyst for economic growth in our region,? said Leslie Smith, president and CEO of TechTown Detroit, and chair of BANSEM. ?Beyond education and encouragement, the impact data released today speaks to a clear-eyed commitment to execute ? not in silos, but as a thoughtfully integrated support system.?
Said Ken Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley: ?This is one of the great success stories coming out of the renaissance that?s taking place in Southeast Michigan today. The four BANSEM accelerators have been to able accomplish something that the region has struggled with for a number of years: successful collaboration across regional boundaries. These results speak volumes about the value of working together to move the region forward economically.?
