It's Time Again For The GLITR Tech Tour!
Yep, it's that time of year again, when I take to the road and look for the coolest tech companies all over Michigan.
The Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report's seventh annual Spring Tech Tour starts Monday in Traverse City, and continues Tuesday in the Great Lakes Bay cities of Midland and Bay City, Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Thursday in Kalamazoo and Friday in Lansing.
The spring tech tour concentrates on technology-based economic development. So I'll be talking to local economic developers about how they're luring new and gardening existing companies in hardware, software, IT services, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and all things green, from solar power to wind power to biofuels.
And most fun of all? I'll be driving a brand-new Chevrolet Volt, courtesy of the fine folks at LaFontaine Automotive Group and their Chevrolet dealership in Dexter. It'll be interesting to see what kind of mileage I get out of the range-extended electric vehicle in more of a long road trip setting, vs. a short daily commute.
You can follow my adventure right here at this link. We'll be posting stories, pictures, audio and video. And you can also listen for twice-daily reports, mornings and afternoons, on WWJ Newsradio 950.
Oh, and once I get back, I'll start planning my Fall Tech Tour, probably sometime in late September or early October, when I talk to universities about tech transfer and research spinout startups. So Michigan Tech, Central and Western, Ferris State and Grand Valley, and of course Michigan State -- heads up, it's never too early to start thinking.
- Check out my latest photos from the road -
- Matt Roush
