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A new public-private partnership unveiled July 17 will provide an innovative testing ground for drones and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, including a simulated vertiport and a roughly 40-mile corridor for testing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Called M-Air, the initiative seeks to capitalize on the Trump Administration’s enthusiasm for drones and eVTOLs, as reflected in last month’s executive order that called for accelerated testing of drone operations and the creation of an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. Its launch coincides with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s own executive directive establishing the Michigan Advanced Air Mobility Initiative, a “whole-of-government strategy” to position Michigan as a leader in AAM.
Related: White House readies executive orders on drone rulemaking, competitiveness
M-Air will be led by Venkat Viswanathan, a battery expert and associate professor at the University of Michigan who is well known for his work in electric aviation. It builds on an existing public-private partnership for the automotive sector called Mcity, an extension of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute.
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