Michigan State University Center for Community and Economic Development MSU EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation (REI University Center) In 2010, economic development in Michigan was fragmented and in disarray. In 2011, with support from of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Michigan State University Center for Community and Economic Development, the state initiated a five-year EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation (REI). As a highly networked knowledge-sharing hub charged with building a unique ecosystem to leverage Michigan’s higher education assets in the support of the co-creation, co-application, and dissemination of innovative economic development strategies this center yields high-growth entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic innovation throughout Michigan. At the heart of the REI University Center is a responsive, virtual community of over 1,000 public and private sector participants engaged in strategic partnerships and collaborative learning to identify, develop, and implement new strategies to improve Michigan’s economy. Jennifer Bruen, Project Coordinator, Community Economic Development Rex LaMore, Director, Community Economic Development

1. Michigan State University
EDA University Center for Regional Economic
Innovation (REI)
Awards of Excellence
Finalist
Leadership and collaboration
Rex LaMore Ph.D., Director
&
Jennifer Bruen, Project Coordinator

2. Background on Michigan
• Traditional economic development has not been sufficiently
assisting low to moderate-income families in Michigan.
• …Nor has it effectively increase the number of small
businesses in low-income communities.
• Michigan has been behind in the globalized economy.

3. MSU EDA University Center for REI
In 2011, with support from of the Economic
Development Administration (EDA) the Michigan
State University Center for Community and
Economic Development initiated a five-year EDA
University Center for Regional Economic Innovation
(REI).

4. What is the Michigan State University EDA
University Center for REI?
 Highly networked knowledge-sharing
hub…leveraging Michigan’s higher education
assets.
 Disseminating innovative economic development
strategies to yield high growth entrepreneurship,
job creation, and economic innovation throughout
Michigan.

5. The REI Network
 The heart of our university center
 Over 1000 public and private sector professionals
engaged in strategic partnerships and collaborative
learning to identify, develop, and implement new
strategies to improve Michigan’s economy.

6. Co-Learning Plans (CLP)
 Commissioning scholars and practitioners to
conduct original, applied research related to
innovative economic development strategies,
policies, tools, and programs.

7. What’s Co-Learning???
Co-Learning is Collaborative Learning
Commissioning scholars and practitioners to
conduct original, applied research related to
innovative economic development strategies,
tools, policies, and programs. You learn, I
learn, and They learn.

8. CLP Example #1
Pop-Up Program Development (2014)
Michael Forsyth, Detroit Economic Growth Association, REVOLVE Detroit
This Co-Learning Plan focuses on the tangible tasks,
challenges, and best practices associated with
development and management of pop-up programs in
Detroit and around the nation. Using 'REVOLVE
Detroit' as a model, Forsyth highlights best practices
and challenges.

9. Policies and Practices to
Support Triple Bottom Line Development,
By Terry Link, Staring Now LLC, and Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group
CLP Example # 2

10. Student-Led, Faculty-Guided (SLFG)
Projects
 REI partners with faculty and their students at 12 Michigan colleges
and universities to fund and implement Student-Led, Faculty-
Guided Projects through practicum courses and service-learning
projects to assist communities and regions in completing local
research-based technical assistance.
 Projects typically include data collection, analysis, development of
plans and implementation strategies. Each year students, along with
faculty and community partners, are expected to write a report,
conduct a webinar or video and present at the annual Innovate
Michigan! Summit.
 This results in a great learning experience for students and also
provides inexpensive help to improve a community's economy.

11. Supporting 50+ projects at 12 MI
Universities and Colleges
1. Michigan State University
2. University of Michigan
3. University of Michigan- Flint
4. Wayne State University
5. Grand Valley State University
6. Western Michigan University
7. Northern Michigan University
8. Michigan Tech
9. Lake Superior State University
10. Saginaw Valley State University
11. Madonna University
12. Lawrence Tech

12. IMPACT
 95% of students surveyed said “their project helped them
prepare for employment”.
 64% of students surveyed said “their project increased their
desire to stay in Michigan after graduation”.
 46% of students surveyed said “the community used the
information from the report”.
 23% of students surveyed said “they helped implement their
project”.
 15% of students surveyed said “their project helped them get
a job or internship”.

13. SLFG Example
Afterhouse (2013)
Steven Mankouche, Abigail Murray, Edward Sach, Matthew Schulte, Jono
Sturt and Travis Williams, University of Michigan
This project pertains to property abandonment -
specifically the reuse of abandoned structures. Afterhouse
reuses a specific abandoned home in Detroit. A group of
students, artists, architects, and faculty from University of
Michigan’s Taubman College deconstructed the house in
order to reuse the house’s foundation for a semi-
subterranean geothermal greenhouse. The project aims at
creating a prototype for effective reuse projects throughout
Detroit and in other urban and rural communities.

14. Before

15. Afterhouse

23. NEW
Flint Aquaponic Afterhouse

25. Innovate Michigan! Summit
 Every year in September
 Economic development practitioners, business leaders,
finance providers, scholars, students, local and state
government, non-profits and other community leaders
 Share partner projects
 Rate ideas for next year’s plan of work
 Concurrently, REI collaborates with the Michigan Inventor’s
Coalition (MIC) to provide a Garage and Basement Inventor
Expo.

26. Innovate Michigan! Summit

27. Special Thanks to…
Consultative Panel-Represented Organizations:
Michigan’s University Research Corridor
Michigan Technological University
West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (WMRPC)
Washtenaw Community College
Wayne State University
Madonna University
Connect Michigan
MSU Innovation Center
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)
Northern Michigan University
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC)
City of Grand Rapids
Prima Civitas Foundation
RedInk Flint
Berghorn Group
Michigan State University Partners
Office for the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Office of the Provost
Office of University Outreach and Engagement
MSU Extension
Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
College of Social Science
MSU Business – Connect
Other Partners
East Michigan Council of Governments (EMCOG)
Michigan Municipal League (MML)
Michigan Suburbs Alliance
Public Policy Associates Inc.
Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC)
Veteran Enterprise & Job Forum
West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (WMRPC)
Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Crystal Mountain
Detroit Training Center
The Engineering Society of Detroit
Henry Ford Health System
Lawrence Technological University
Michigan Economic Developers Association (MEDA)
Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG)
St. Clair County EDA
Starting Now
Sustainable Research Group
MSU Broad College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship
U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)
Mt. Elliot Makerspace
Northern Initiatiaves
Saginaw Valley State University
Studio [Ci]
Michigan Inventors Coalition (MIC)

28. Outputs
30 + Innovative Tools, Models, Policies and Practices
Over 1,000 members of the REI Network
Transferring Knowledge
52 Technical Reports and Feasibility Studies

29. Outcomes
Private Investment
$75,000 (2012) Misc.
$442,300 (2013)
Makerspace, Idlewild, Michigan Bike Trails,
Afterhouse, Garage Basement Inventors and Going
Green for Growth
$127,000 (2014)
Expanding Economic Literacy Videos
$137,500 (2015)
Afterhouse
Public Investment
$ 201,000 (2012)
Exporting Assistance and other Misc.
$140,000 (2014)
$5,338,100 (2015) FPIC
Total (2011- Spring 2015) $ 6,460,900.00

30. Thank you
To learn more about our partner projects please visit
reicenter.org
For more information contact :
rei@msu.edu
517-353-9555