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Home / Business Resources / Success Stories / Michigan Research Institute
Michigan Research InstituteMichigan Research Institute Sees Ann Arbor’s Potential in Life Science TechNot-for-Profit organization collaborates to support innovation in Michigan  In 2001, a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) helped launch the Michigan Research Institute (MRI), a not-for-profit organization that identifies promising life sciences technology in local corporations and universities as a basis for creating business in Michigan. Located in Ann Arbor, MRI currently provides $7 million per year in funding to joint-venture projects that it manages.“How do you take technology that’s sitting in a university or corporation and get it out into the market so people can benefit from it?” said MRI President Jim Richter. “That was the initial vision. We choose what to support very carefully based on how it matches market needs on a national level.” MRI aids Michigan business innovation through a number of channels. The organization provides management and financial resources for promising technology in industry and academia, along with teams from multiple organizations (universities, piece vendors, government agencies and corporations) that work together on the development of the technology. “We’re really about how to develop the invention and get it to commercial application as quickly as possible,” said Richter. National and local impact MRI’s national relevance is evident from its diverse projects. In partnership with Diamond Automation of Michigan and the Food and Drug Administration, MRI is developing a process to protect the U.S. shell egg supply from salmonella and avian flu. NASA and Delphi are collaborating with MRI on a new commercial welding technique for joining tubular structures, allowing for increased strength and reduced weight. The institute is also developing a new test for epithelial cell cancers with Dow Pharmaceuticals and Innovative Biotherapies, and working with GraviKor on new-generation military and security vehicles. MRI also partners with University of Michigan Business School Professor Dave Brophy on a business school course that allows students from various academic pursuits to participate in the commercialization process of university technology. Everyone involved with the program wins, said Richter. “The beauty of the class is that we bring students, inventors and mentors together to take basic inventions through the commercialization process and give them real, hands-on experience.” MRI’s third venture is the operation of a wet lab incubator for local use by emerging biotechnology companies. MRI invested one million dollars in upgrading the state-of-the-art facility for companies that need laboratories, clean rooms and offices to build their business. A framework for future success Businesses in Michigan operated independently from each other 10 to 15 years ago, but the climate is changing, and Ann Arbor has many resources to leverage, noted Richter. He credits MichBio, SPARK and the University of Michigan for their dedication to providing resources for Michigan businesses and drawing attention to development. “The Ann Arbor community is really starting to wake up in terms of networking,” said Richter. “We see that in our incubator here. We have multiple-company projects being formed to leverage resources. Ann Arbor is starting to build a critical mass of relationships that you used to only see on the East and the West coasts.” “The staff and facilities at the University Medical Center are a real asset to the region as well,” he added. “New companies need to take advantage of the world leaders in the academic disciplines there and leverage that expertise in the businesses they’re forming.” What does Richter see in Ann Arbor’s future? “Lots of entrepreneurs and small companies are building in Ann Arbor. At the end of the day, that’s really how you grow - small companies based in cutting-edge technology that addresses ever-changing market needs. These will be the economic growth engines that provide quality jobs in the region. It’s pointing toward the right things in the future here.”
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