TROY – The Automation Alley Industry 4.0 Accelerator, powered by Lawrence Technological University’s Centrepolis Accelerator and the Lean Rocket Lab, has expanded its corporate partnerships to include more Michigan-based manufacturing and technology organizations.

The founding corporate partners include Lear Corporation; Whirlpool Corporation; DENSO; Siemens; Magna; Faurecia; Comau; Design Systems, Inc.; Mirari; Electro-Matic Ventures; TAC; Nippon Piston Ring; ITR Solutions; Kundinger; Orbitform; Maintenance Technologies Consulting; Bosch Rexroth; the Jackson Area Manufacturers Association; and other manufacturing leaders across the region.

“The Industry 4.0 Accelerator is a demonstration of what’s possible when forward-thinking organizations recognize the opportunities to partner together and advance a stronger ecosystem for everyone,” said Tom Kelly, executive director and CEO of Automation Alley. “We’re growing talent and expanding resources to make Michigan’s manufacturing industry more secure than it’s ever been.”

The mission of the Industry 4.0 Accelerator is to attract startups from around the world that are developing the next generation of manufacturing technologies and connect them with Michigan’s expansive advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Manufacturing and technology startups that are accepted into the Accelerator receive a combination of capital, programming, and contracted services from partner organizations.

“From the beginning our vision was twofold: attract, invest in, and develop top industry 4.0 startups, and help them deploy their technologies into Michigan’s robust manufacturing economy,” said Brandon Marken, founder and CEO of the Lean Rocket Lab. “We believed this would create value for the startups, economic impact for the state and operational resiliency, and a built-in innovation pipeline for our manufacturers.”

Added Dan Radomski, Director of the Centrepolis Accelerator: “Our corporate partners are critical to the program’s success. We rely on the close relationships we have with these manufacturers to identify opportunities for catalytic matchmaking. We give the corporate partners exclusive access to the I4.0 technology companies in our pipeline; based on innovations they’ve identified interest in.

“In return our partners provide feedback, expertise, validation and oftentimes the pathway for technology demos, product development partnerships and in some cases even investment. These corporate partners represent small, medium and large manufacturers and already proving to be instrumental to validate these best in class global I4.0 technologies in a real-world manufacturing environment.”

To learn more about the Industry 4.0 Accelerator and to view a complete list of corporate partners, visit https://www.i40accelerator.com/.