The GAMA region is also the intellectual center of the automotive industry. Automotive research and development companies that locate in mid-Michigan will be a part of the greatest concentration of automotive R & D activity in the world, with over 215 automotive research and development centers located in Michigan employing over 65,000 professionals statewide.

The region is also home to 15 colleges and universities, including the top-ranked Kettering University (a leader in fuel cell research and ranked #1 in the U.S. in undergraduate Industrial/Mechanical Engineering programs). Michigan State University (a leader in biofuels development), and the University of Michigan (home to the U.S. Army’s Automotive Research Center of Excellence and ranked #2 in the U.S. in graduate Industrial/Mechanical Engineering programs).