Promotes Michigan as the leader in innovation, talent, and technology on a global stage 

LANSING, MI. – On Jan 5th, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist led a Michigan delegation to the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), promoting the state’s leadership in technology, future mobility, workforce talent, and innovation, and highlighting how Michigan is the best place to design, build, and manufacture the future. During CES, the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers come together to showcase new technologies and address relevant issues.

“Michigan is and always has been a state of innovators,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “We are proud to be the best place for dreamers, doers, and problem-solvers to build the future and make a difference. We are here at CES to engage with world-leading companies and tell Michigan’s story: of tough, hardworking people who are ready to grow our economy, bring supply chains home, and compete for every good-paying job. Let’s get to work paving the way for a stronger Michigan.”

Lt. Governor Gilchrist held meetings with high-level executives from foreign and domestic companies, many Michigan-based, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 members. He also participated in a Silicon Foundry roundtable discussing the role of mobility in smart cities and infrastructure, where he highlighted how Michigan has continued to create public-private partnerships to address these challenges in communities throughout the state.

Joining Lt. Governor Gilchrist at CES were Quentin L. Messer Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Corporation (MEDC) and Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, as well as additional delegates from the MEDC, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and other state partners.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist also met with key international business partners, including the UK, Israel, and others, as the global stage becomes important in the future mobility revolution.

To close out the day, Lt. Governor Gilchrist attended the OFME-GENIVI matchmaking event and had the opportunity to speak at the event’s evening reception, the pre-eminent mobility-focused networking event at CES. The event features business-to-business matchmaking sessions to connect mobility-focused startup companies with OFME, strengthen investment in Michigan-based startups, and attract startup companies to Michigan.

“Michigan remains proud of its heritage as a state of innovation, and we remain focused on building upon that proud legacy to drive the future of technology as we know it,” said Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer. “This is our time to promote Michigan as the preeminent place for the leaders of the future to build their businesses, leverage Michigan’s world-class talent, and push the boundaries of the innovations of the future. The 2023 Consumer Electronics Show is the place to do just that.”

The Whitmer Administration is helping Michiganders compete for high-tech jobs through the Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Achievement Scholarship programs, which lower the cost of higher education for families. Since 2019, Michigan has announced over 30,000 new auto jobs, expanded investments in critical industries manufacturing chips and batteries, and revamped our economic competitiveness with a bipartisan plan to attract businesses to the state.