The center will be focused on accelerating collaborative research and development, building a skilled workforce and creating a campus that supports both.
Alan Taub, an engineering professor and former auto industry executive, was appointed director of the center. Taub was previously vice president of global R&D for General Motors Co. and had leadership roles at Ford Motor Co. and General Electric Co. Taub is a professor of materials science and engineering and mechanical engineering at UM.
He will be tasked with building an industry advisory board for the center and will work with its members to establish workforce development strategies and R&D priorities.
"We're undergoing a redefinition of personal mobility in a way we haven't seen in a century," Taub said in a statement. "It requires changes to the vehicles, the infrastructure, consumer behavior, policy and more. We need academia, industry and government to work together to enable a smooth transition."
Through an estimated $20 million in state funding, the center will look to engage potential mobility employees with education opportunities at UM and other institutions with the goal of reaching more than 1,200 students annually.
An estimated $50 million of the state funding will support research and development of innovative technology through public-private partnerships.
The UM/state contract earmarks $60 million for campus infrastructure and could include a teaching, training and development facility with an expanded, upgraded battery lab. The plan would have to be approved by the university's Board of Regents. The proposed facility would be on North Campus with the College of Engineering.
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