The Michigan Opportunity Radio Show ~ INNOVATION MEETS THE FUTURE: Building Michigan’s Next Technology Economy from Microchips boards to Data Centers!

Oct. 3, 2026 ~ Two very different conversations on WJR’s Great Voice, connected by one central question: How does Michigan turn technological change into economic opportunity? I spoke with Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Calumet Electronics Corporation, Todd Brassard, and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Meredith LaBeau, about advanced electronics manufacturing, innovation, domestic supply chains, and the technologies critical to industries ranging from defense and aerospace to energy and communications.

In a separate interview, Associate Director of the Quello Center at Michigan State University, Dr. Jean Hardy, offered a broader look at how emerging technologies—including AI, automation, Data Centers and data infrastructure—are changing communities, businesses, workers, and Michigan’s economic landscape.

Together, these conversations connect two sides of Michigan’s innovation challenge: Building the technologies of the future—and preparing people and communities for the changes those technologies will bring.

Michigan’s opportunity is not simply to adapt to technological disruption. It is to become a place where technology is invented, manufactured, commercialized, and put to work.

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