During the Industry Preview days at the North American International Auto Show, the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership hosted foreign delegations to discuss alternative fuel and other emerging technology, including the Swedish Secretary of State, Juran Haglund and the Gothenburg and Southwest Sweden investment delegations. Additional discussions were held with these groups with the University of Michigan's Center for Entrepreneurship and the College of Engineering.

The Partnership also hosted more than 600 business executives from this region and from abroad to witness, during the NAIAS Exclusive Industry Preview Days, the latest technology our region has to exhibit and market.

They were able to experience the next generation of transportation and realize the power of our region:

• More than 120 Michigan companies are developing alternative energy technology.

• We have over 225 automotive supplier technology centers in the Detroit region.

• Regional Detroit companies exported last year over $28 billion of transportation equipment annually around the globe.

Michigan is also driving the nation in a green industrial revolution:

• Michigan leads the nation in offering $700 million in tax credits for advanced battery manufacturing and storage devices.

• $15.5 million in federal stimulus dollars have been awarded to Michigan companies who have been able to diversify from traditional to advanced manufacturing for renewable energy systems and components.

• General Motors has invested $700 million in Michigan manufacturing and production facilities for their Chevrolet Volt program.

• Dow Corning has invested $1 billion in Michigan for solar research, development and production.

The Detroit region continues to remain the global automotive brain center:

• Michigan is still the number one state in the nation for vehicle related research and development.

• Across the ten country Detroit region, we have more engineers per capita that any other metropolitan area in the U.S.

• Each year Michigan colleges and universities graduate nearly 10,000 engineers and engineering technicians.

• Detroit's workforce talent is made up of thousands of high-skilled and highly educated people.

Over the next weeks, we will see the impact of the international press about our region, but we can celebrate the innovation and the future of our automotive industry as evidenced by this year's show.

For more information, please contact Blaire H. Miller, Economic Development, at (313) 594-0436 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .