TORONTO, Canada – Ontario and Michigan are expanding their long-standing collaboration through a new partnership to advance automotive, transportation and mobility technologies to help people and goods move safely and efficiently across the border by land, air and water.
The Ontario government, through Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), and the State of Michigan, through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the implementation of a cross-border testing environment that will further support the commercialization and adoption of auto and transportation technologies in Ontario.
Goals of the collaboration include:
- Identifying the potential economic, social and environmental benefits from increased collaboration in automotive and transportation technologies between Ontario and Michigan.
- Identifying issues and challenges for both people and goods related to specific types of border crossing (by land, air and water) and how transportation technologies could offer solutions.
- Exploring the regulatory and policy considerations involved.
- Developing a roadmap for implementation, including steps to establish cross-border pilots for transportation technologies.
Ontario and Michigan are responsible for about 22 percent of North America’s automotive output. The state and province share a highly integrated automotive supply chain, with vehicle parts crossing the border several times before rolling off the assembly line in finished vehicles.
In addition, many companies operate on both sides of the border, with engineering expertise and technology innovation shared between the two autotech hubs.
As a first action under the new MOU, a joint Request for Proposals (RFP) is now underway to study and analyze the economic potential of expanded border capacity and other benefits that can be achieved by leveraging advanced automotive and smart mobility solutions at international border crossings.
The closing date for RFP submissions is September 13, 2021. For further information, please visit AVIN’s RFP page or MDOT’s eProposal site.
