April 25, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Gov. Rick Snyder and Sec. Mona Keijzer, State Secretary of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of The Netherlands, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation across Michigan and the Netherlands’ respective automotive and technology sectors to support growth and advancements in mobility.
The governor and State Secretary Keijzer were joined for the signing by Harold Goddijn, CEO of the Dutch consumer electronics company TomTom, and Pete Hoekstra, U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. Jeff Mason, director of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Kevin Kerrigan with the MEDC automotive office were also present for the signing.
“The possibilities that exist between Michigan and the Netherlands in terms of mobility innovation and cooperation are endless,” Gov. Rick Snyder said. “This agreement establishes a great partnership through which we will share research and knowledge between Michigan and the Netherlands in the development and deployment of intelligent vehicle transportation to make our populations safer and our modes of transportation more accessible and efficient. We are moving forward together, rather than separately.”
Immediately following the MOU signing, Governor Snyder and State Secretary Keijzer witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the American Center for Mobility and Siemens PLM Software to bring Siemens’ Simulation and Test solution for Automotive to ACM to support virtual and physical testing and validation of automated and connected vehicles. Included in the Siemens Simulation and Test solution for Automotive is Simcenter™ PreScan™ software for virtual simulation, developed by recently acquired TASS International and now part of the Simcenter™ portfolio. This partnership will play an important role in the virtual validation of connected autonomous vehicles at ACM, and also is an immediate example of the collaboration that can result from the MOU between Michigan and The Netherlands.
The MOU signing with The Netherlands follows MOUs signed with Minister Richard Harrington of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on Monday and Minister Barbara Eibinger-Miedl of the Austrian state of Styria last Friday. Governor Snyder also toured the Millbrook Proving Grounds in Bedford, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry while in the UK. In Germany, he met with 30 global automotive companies at the Hannover Messe Trade Fair in Germany to promote Michigan’s industrial synergies, including the state’s global automotive and mobility leadership, industrial automation, research and development, IT, and advanced manufacturing heritage. He also met with key U.S. and German industry executives and government officials.
In addition to the governor’s meetings, leaders from six Michigan companies attended Hannover Messe in a mission spearheaded by Automation Alley, to present their companies to potential buyers and meet with government and business leaders.
“It’s important for leaders and employers in other countries to hear all that Michigan offers as the premier automotive business location in North America,” Snyder said.
Michigan is the top state in the Great Lakes for number of jobs created by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with Germany and the UK being the top and third countries, respectively, for FDI in Michigan.
Governor Snyder also had an opportunity to promote Michigan’s leisure travel assets at several events focused on tourism, including as a special guest at the British Motor Museum’s exhibit that documents the life of Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company vehicles. In addition to the state’s natural resources and the resurgence in Detroit, the state’s automotive heritage – including The Henry Ford Museum on American Innovation and the Gilmore Car Museum – were highlighted.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Jeff Mason, Auto Sector Senior Vice President Kevin Kerrigan, and Travel Michigan Vice President Dave Lorenz joined the trade mission.
Other missions led by Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley include trips to France, Japan, South Korea, Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Chile, Columbia, India, Switzerland, Italy, and Ireland. The missions have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in Michigan by foreign companies adding thousands of jobs to Michigan’s workforce.
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Note: Simcenter is a trademark or registered trademark of Siemens industry Software NV or any of its affiliates. PreScan is a trademark or registered trademark of TASS International Software B.V.
