An effort to promote companies that work in computer modeling, simulation and visualization (MSV) is underway as Automation Alley brings together MSV-related businesses and encourages educational institutions to prepare students for the field.
About 20 local companies were part of a meeting in January to discuss the MSV initiative. Companies such as Rave Computer attended the meeting and president and CEO, Rick Darter, says the company has already seen the stronghold Michigan, with its background in manufacturing, has in the field.
"Until four years ago 95 percent of Rave's business was always outside of Michigan. Then we made the company's goal to grow our Michigan customer base," Darter says in a statement. "Based on our efforts, we easily found over 100 companies right here in Michigan with strong investment in MSV-related activities across all industries, but they were all sliced -- in other words, nobody was talking to each other."
Automation Alley, which describes itself as the state's largest technology business association, is partnering with Ann Arbor-based National Center for Manufacturing Sciences to bring those businesses together and promote and advance the field through education and the creation of a skilled workforce.
"Our primary role is to bring a lot of the industrial players to the table," NCMS President Rick Jarman says in a statement released by Automation Alley. "We have software companies, we have hardware companies and the NCMS' role is to bring these companies together to form a shared infrastructure, a PIC."
The 20 companies that attended the formation meeting have pledged to volunteer their time to support the mission.
"Southeast Michigan is primed to become a leading Center of Excellence for modeling, simulation and visualization in the country," Automation Alley executive Ken Rogers says in the statement.
"We are collaborating with local organizations that have a vested interest in MSV to discuss needs and opportunities in this area. Because of their support, we can now draw from our collective expertise and resources to move this initiative forward, creating training programs, connecting talent with jobs, and providing manufacturers with the resources they need. As we build momentum, this initiative will naturally draw additional talent, business and resources to our region."
Source: Kelly Kozlowski, business accelerator client coordinator and communications officer, Automation Alley
Writer: Kim North Shine
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