Gov. Whitmer Transitions from Investment Mission in Asia to IAA Mobility in Germany, Working to Bring Jobs Back Home from Overseas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2025

Contact: press@michigan.gov 

Gov. Whitmer Transitions from Investment Mission in Asia to IAA Mobility in Germany, Working to Bring Jobs Back Home from Overseas

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer, having successfully launched Michigan’s first-ever investment mission to Singapore with continued engagements in Japan earlier this month, is now transitioning to Munich, Germany, to lead Team Michigan at the IAA Mobility Conference. This strategic visit underscores Michigan’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships, attracting global investment, and showcasing the state’s leadership in the future of mobility. 

“We’re going everywhere to make sure Michigan is competing and winning jobs and investments to bring back home,” said Governor Whitmer. “Over the past week, we’ve built new relationships in Singapore and deepened longstanding ties in Japan. Now, at IAA in Munich, Team Michigan will show the world why our state is the global epicenter of mobility. Together, with our German partners, we’re working to drive innovation, create good-paying jobs, and build the future of transportation. Let’s keep getting it done.” 

IAA provides a global platform for Michigan to highlight its strengths in the automotive supply chain, manufacturing, electric vehicles (EVs), advanced air mobility, and sustainable mobility infrastructure. Held in Munich, IAA is one of the world’s leading mobility trade shows, featuring the latest advancements in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, battery technologies, and intelligent transport systems. 

Germany remains a cornerstone ally in automotive and mobility innovation, sharing deep investment ties.  The conference and meetings with German state and business leaders enables Michigan to forge new business relationships and highlight its growing innovation ecosystem, from engineering and R&D to defense and aerospace. 

“IAA presents an invaluable opportunity for Team Michigan to engage with global mobility leaders, deepen relationships in-market, share Michigan’s innovation story, and attract new investment,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). “Michigan’s infrastructure, workforce, and research assets make us a top destination for companies looking to develop and deploy the next generation of mobility solutions. Presenting global mobility leaders with Michigan policy innovations like the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the R&D tax incentive, further enables more companies to imagine driving the future of mobility in our state, the one that first put the world on wheels.”

“This investment mission to Munich serves as a strategic platform to showcase Michigan’s leadership in defense and aerospace. It underscores the state’s role in driving the next era of multi-domain innovation—across land, maritime, and air—through relentless technological advancement, world-class manufacturing capabilities, and a highly skilled workforce,” said Col. John Gutierrez, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), executive director of Michigan’s Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation with the MEDC. “By building partnerships here in Munich, we can strengthen Michigan’s role as a trusted global hub for dual-use technologies and solutions.”

Germany is a top partner of Michigan, with over 400 German companies operating in Michigan, including recent investments from Laepple Automotive, DEKRA, EcoG, Atesteo, and Expleo, and over $1.3 billion in foreign direct investment. 

The investment mission is supported by the MEDC and the Michigan Economic Development Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic development initiatives that drive private investment, job creation, and wage growth in Michigan. 

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