Hail Detroit's Arsenal of Innovation

I have to get this down in writing before some other state lays claim to it: the Arsenal of Innovation. That's right, folks, that's my new mantra for Michigan. After spending last week talking to brilliant intellectual property attorneys at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione (full disclosure: they are a client of mine), auto industry veterans in the Rochester Optimist Club (full disclosure: I'm a member) and General Motors Institute (GMI) grads from the mid-1980's (full disclosure: they are some of the smartest women I know and they happen to be among my best friends, too)I came to the conclusion that we as a state and a nation do not give nearly enough credit to the innovation and patented technologies that are borne out of the hard work and research of our auto industry.

I've done my fair share of auto industry bashing through the years, although I'd like to think my complaints were grounded in fact. I'll even admit to being against the bailout initially. That all changed, though, when I saw members of Congress denigrating the industry based on half-truths, old information and a striking "us versus them" mentally. "This is getting personal," I thought. "Why don't they like us?" I did some more homework too and really got my arms around the depth of intellectual capital that we have concentrated in Michigan, thanks to the auto industry. Intellectual capital that benefits the entire nation. That can't be said of the assembly lines (with limited to no innovation and research) down South.

I had to chuckle at the Michigan engineer who was so upset about the treatment from Southern senators that he started a Boycott Alabama campaign and website. That's interesting, but I'm not a snowbird and likely will not even be going down South, much less to Alabama in 2009. So how can I boycott Alabama? They don't make anything! And if we're not careful, either will Michigan or the rest of our nation. Let's not lose the Arsenal of Innovation.