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Connect to a Community of Best Practice

“Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself.” 
~ Alexander Graham Bell

West Michigan businesses know the value of collaboration: Companies from many industries, or from the same industry have been working together to elevate competitiveness for more than a quarter century.

That attitude hasn’t changed when it comes to innovation.   From engineering user groups, to entrepreneurial  roundtables, Innovation West Michigan is part of an extensive network of programs to connect companies and entrepreneurs with potential mentors and peers. 

Regional Networks Affiliated with IWM:

The Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MIIE) is a consortium of all 15 of Michigan’s public universities acting together strategically to foster a new Michigan knowledge economy based on entrepreneurship and innovation. MIIE periodically accepts proposals across three funding targets: technology commercialization, industry and economic engagement, and talent retention and entrepreneurship education.

MichAgain Managed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, MichAgain is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses connect — and reconnect — with Michigan. The objective is to attract candidates for specific job openings in Michigan, with a longer term goal of attracting businesses or business operations whose decision makers are Michigan college alums.

Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) is an alliance among Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University to transform, strengthen and diversify the state’s economy.  The collaborative effort works with businesses and other stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and speed technology transfer and development. 

Transborder Research University Network (TRUN) The purpose of TRUN is to facilitate, support and publicize cooperation among member institutions. Examples include collaborative research, joint applications for funding, joint events and conferences, sharing of knowledge and best practices, and coordinated advocacy on issues of mutual interest, such as transborder mobility and binational funding opportunities. Member institutions include Canadian and United States universities that have proximity to the shared border region.