ETECHSTARS Founding Team Meets with MEDC and Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer to Discuss Mobility Growth in the Upper Peninsula
ETECHSTARS Inc. continues to strengthen its presence in Michigan’s growing mobility ecosystem. The founding team recently met with officials from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, and the leadership team at **MTEC SmartZone** in Houghton to discuss collaborative pathways for advancing autonomous and connected vehicle innovation in the Upper Peninsula.
The meeting centered on expanding Michigan’s role as a hub for next-generation mobility technologies, emphasizing the importance of regional R&D ecosystems, public-private partnerships, and pilot deployments in rural and extreme-weather environments — areas where ETECHSTARS’ DriveNoggin™ technology excels.
The ETECHSTARS team shared insights into its ongoing work on autonomous delivery systems, perception technologies, and real-world testing initiatives across Michigan. Discussions highlighted opportunities for collaboration with state-supported innovation programs, commercialization resources, and potential grant pathways to scale autonomous vehicle testing in northern regions.
“This conversation reinforced the shared vision of making Michigan not just the birthplace of the automotive industry, but the future of intelligent and sustainable mobility,” said Harsh Singh, CEO and Founder of ETECHSTARS Inc. “The support from MEDC and the Chief Mobility Office underscores the state’s commitment to empowering innovation in all corners of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula.”
The meeting, hosted at MTEC SmartZone in Houghton, also showcased the critical role of regional incubators and university partnerships in accelerating startup growth. ETECHSTARS expressed gratitude to the MEDC and MTEC SmartZone leadership for fostering collaboration between early-stage innovators, research institutions, and state mobility programs.
ETECHSTARS will continue working closely with MEDC, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), and local innovation partners to develop scalable pilot programs focused on **autonomy-as-a-service**, **depth perception technologies**, and **rural mobility enablement**.
This collaboration marks another key milestone in ETECHSTARS’ mission to build safer, smarter, and more accessible autonomous systems from Michigan — for the world.