Michigan Launches Statewide Challenges to Accelerate Advanced Air Mobility Integration Across Government Agencies

LANSING, Mich. - Today, the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) announced the launch of its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Statewide Mobility Challenges, supported by partners NextEnergy and Newlab Detroit. The series of proposal requests from state government agencies are aimed at advancing the integration of drones to solve real-world problems. The challenges are designed to boost operational efficiency and innovation while driving public and private sector adoption, activating in-state production capacity, and building public understanding of AAM technologies.

The Michigan State Police (MSP), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) are the first agencies to request proposals. Each challenge is set to harness the capabilities of drones and other AAM technologies to improve data collection, enhance situational awareness, and deliver faster, more efficient public services across Michigan. Additional agencies will launch challenges in the coming months.

This initiative follows the signing of Executive Directive 2025-4 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, which outlines a comprehensive approach to integrating AAM solutions across the public and private sectors. This strategy leverages the state's manufacturing and mobility workforce, infrastructure, and expertise to establish Michigan as the national AAM leader and align with federal efforts to unleash American drone dominance.

"Michigan's advanced air mobility industry is an important, growing part of our economy," said Gov. Whitmer. "With the launch of the new AAM Statewide Mobility Challenges, we're bringing together several state departments and innovators to solve real-world problems from public safety to environmental protection using uncrewed aerial drones. We have a century of mobility heritage on wheels, and now, companies from around the world are coming to Michigan to take to the skies. Together, we're going to support this growing industry, strengthen our domestic supply chains, and create more good-paying, local jobs."

"Michigan dreamers, doers, and innovators push the boundaries, invent the future, and grow our economy," said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II. "That's why we signed an executive directive to invest in advanced air mobility and take Michigan's aviation capacity to new heights. Now, the AAM Statewide Mobility Challenges will use drones to help us solve real-world problems from spraying for invasive species to keeping people safe on the roads and at public events. Let's keep working together to ensure Michigan leads the future of global aviation."

The AAM Statewide Mobility Challenges are part of OFME's efforts to attract and retain high-growth mobility companies by connecting them with local stakeholders and enabling commercial deployments. Applicants are not required to be Michigan-based, but they must demonstrate a clear plan for growth within the state.

"Drones are already delivering essential services across Michigan, from accelerating medical deliveries to enabling better situational awareness for first response operations," said Justine Johnson, Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer. "Public sector adoption is key to scaling these technologies statewide, and through these challenges, Michigan will strengthen its lead in commercializing AAM technologies while building the workforce and infrastructure to support long-term growth."

The four agencies are requesting proposals to solve the following challenges:

• The MSP is pursuing an advanced drone detection system to identify, locate, and catalog drone activity in real-time, supporting security efforts at prisons, public events, and training areas while avoiding jamming due to regulatory restrictions.
  • The application opens on September 29, 2025, and closes on November 7, 2025.
  • You can learn more about the MSP opportunity by attending an information session on October 7 and 9.
• The DNR intends to modernize its aerial operations by replacing non-NDAA drones and adding VTOL fixed-wing mapping capacity. Together, these upgrades expand safe, compliant coverage for wildfire, forest health, and large-scale mapping, delivering faster, higher-quality data and reducing risk to personnel.
  • The application opens on October 27, 2025, and closes on December 5, 2025.
  • You can learn more about the DNR opportunity by attending an information session on November 4 and 6.
• MDOT plans to deploy a next-generation road intelligence platform that leverages connected vehicle data and drone observation to provide real-time situational awareness across the road network.
  • The application opens on November 24, 2025, and closes on January 9, 2026.
  • You can learn more about the MDOT opportunity by attending an information session on December 2 and 3.
• EGLE is seeking AAM solutions that expand real-time air and water sensing, add flexible on-demand deployments after incidents, and automate data collection to improve coverage, speed, and decision readiness across Michigan.
  • The application opens on January 5, 2026, and closes on February 13, 2026.
  • You can learn more about the EGLE opportunity by attending an information session < /a>on January 13 and 15.

Learn more about Michigan's AAM Initiative here →

About the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME)

The OFME works across state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan's mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility and electrification policies and supporting the startup and scale up of emerging technologies and businesses. It is part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Michigan's competitive advantages make the state a place where mobility solutions are born and where companies find long-term success and support. For more information, visit https://www.michiganbusiness.org/ofme/.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter.