Automation Alley

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Automation Alley

• Dr. Thomas Anderson
• Senior Director
• Director, Technology Center

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• Automation Alley, the organization,
  is a non-profit technology business
  association driving the growth in Southeast
  Michigans economy
• Automation Alley, the region, encompasses
  eight counties and the City of Detroit

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Membership

• More than 830 members
• 16 in Genesee County
• Goal 1,000 by 2009
• Membership increased 20 in 2007
• Majority of members are Tier 5
• 324 members have less than 10 employees
• Largest industry is IT
• 241 members are information technology providers

Automation Alley Headquarters in Troy
Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Events

• More than 5,000 people attended events at
  Automation Alley in 2006

• Business Lifecycle Finance Series
• Business-to-Business Sales Development series
• Member Orientation
• Quarterly Networking Events
• Entrepreneurs Initiative of Southeast Michigan
  (EISEM) Entrepreneur's Forums
• Co-sponsored by the Oakland County Business
  Roundtable, Crains and Huntington Bank.

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Entrepreneurial Assistance

• Automation Alley brings together businesses,
  educators
• and government to help entrepreneurs accelerate
  the
• commercialization of new technologies and
  services.
• Seed funding
• Limited seed capital investments available for
  technology start-ups
• Average investment 150,000 - 300,000
• Successes
• 19 investments have been made in Southeast
  Michigan companies
• 2 from Genesee County
• Beholztech
• ParkingCarma
• More than 280 technology companies have received
  technology support and assistance from Automation
  Alley

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Entrepreneurial Assistance

• Educational seminars and workshops
• One-on-one mentoring
• Review of business plan by technology and
  business experts
• Interface with Automation Alley membership

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Technology Initiatives

• National Automotive Center service office in
  building
• Focuses specifically on the Army Cooperative
  Research and Development Agreements and the
  Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
  program
• Also facilitate access to procurement
• National Automotive Center/U.S. Tank-Automotive
  Research, Development and Engineering Center
  Defense Contract
• Automation Alley will offer an analysis of the
  SBIR program and provide a strategy for improving
  commercialization of SBIR technologies

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Technology Initiatives

• Advanced Manufacturing Training Center
• Trains and places incumbent and displaced workers
  in high-tech, higher paying positions, and
  builds foundations in math and science
• Entrepreneurial Initiative of Southeast Michigan
  (EISEM) Forums
• Bi-monthly program which features business plan
  presentations by up to three emerging technology
  driven companies
• Short presentations are critiqued by attendees,
  including venture capitalists, angel investors
  and business professionals, who will provide
  constructive criticism and guidance

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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International Business Assistance

• Enhances the global competitiveness
• of small to medium-sized companies
• doing business overseas while
• marketing and promoting our region
• as a great place to invest
• Trade missions
• India, China, Central Europe, Mexico, Germany
• More than 30 million in contracts has been
  garnered from trade missions for area businesses
• Upcoming missions China and Mexico (2008)

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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• Exporting Assistance
• International Trade Workshops
• Accolades
• Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in
  Trade by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce
  David Sampson
• Business Attraction
• Assisted two companies that relocated to SE
  Michigan
• SeQent supply chain management software firm
• Prostep, Inc. design and engineering software
  firm

Executive Director Ken Rogers, U.S. Deputy
Secretary of CommerceDavid Sampson, Congressman
Joe Knollenberg
Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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Genesee County Service Office

• Located in Genesee Regional Chamber Office
• Offer Genesee residents/business owners
  assistance in
• Economic development
• Commercialization
• International business
• Increase Automation Alley presence in Genesee
  County
• Automation Alley staff member will be on-site 1-2
  days per week

Where Technology Builds Opportunity
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For additional information, visit
www.automationalley.com
Where Technology Builds Opportunity