Michigan Maritime Strategy charts a course to leadership, innovation, success, and sustainability

Announced by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the strategy is a 10-year roadmap for strengthening, sustaining, and modernizing the state’s multibillion-dollar maritime sector. It aims to unlock new investment, foster innovation, and create good-paying jobs while safeguarding an ecosystem that contains about 21% of the world’s fresh surface water. It’s designed as a living document for sustained collaboration, investment, and shared commitment across public, private, academic, tribal, business, and local partners.

Michigan’s 33 active ports support about 17,000 jobs and contribute $3.3 billion a year to the state’s economy. Add in water-based tourism – boating, fishing, and coastal recreation – and the numbers swell to nearly $12 billion a year and 45,000 jobs. From iron ore shipping to agricultural production to ferries and marinas and more, maritime activity touches nearly every corner of the state.

“Michigan is prepared to lead the future of maritime innovation while protecting the waters that define us,” the Governor said in her announcement. She called the strategy a reflection of both opportunity and responsibility.

Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), touts the strategy’s marriage of sustainability and growth.

“Environmental stewardship and economic progress go hand in hand as we chart a course for the future,” he said.

“The Michigan Maritime Strategy shows what’s possible when diverse individuals, groups, and sectors collaborate,” said Emily Finnell, Great Lakes senior advisor and strategist in EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes. “The outcome is a far-reaching plan that aligns policy, partnerships, investments, and innovation across the entire maritime sector from commercial shipping and ferries to recreational boating to ensure a robust maritime economy and healthy Great Lakes ecosystem.”

The strategic vision is for Michigan to lead the nation in sustainable, innovative, equitable, and collaborative maritime solutions, ensuring a robust maritime economy and healthy Great Lakes ecosystem. Four core objectives point the way:

• Supporting economic development and supply chain resilience.
• Accelerating the clean energy transition in the maritime sector.
• Investing in research, innovation, education, and workforce development.
• Enhancing the sustainability, resilience, and revitalization of ports, harbors, and waterfronts.

Reinforcing the objectives are six narrower goals:

• Modernizing ports and intermodal infrastructure.
• Growing Michigan’s maritime manufacturing base.
• Supporting low- and zero-emission vessel technologies and fuels.
• Leading the nation in maritime workforce recruitment and training.
• Cultivating maritime innovation.
• Improving sustainability and resilience of recreational harbors and marinas.

By aligning state agencies, industry, academia, and communities, the strategy connects maritime development with broader transportation, environmental, clean energy, and workforce goals while protecting Michigan waterways.

The strategy focuses on expanding global export markets, diversifying cargo through containerization, and modernizing port and intermodal infrastructure to improve resilience and accommodate alternative marine fuels. It emphasizes career training in port operations, shipbuilding, marine manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy tech through leading maritime institutions.

Meanwhile, it advances the MI Healthy Climate Plan (MHCP) goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 through clean fuel adoption, vessel electrification, advanced propulsion systems, and modernization of shipbuilding and manufacturing, including autonomous vessel technologies.

A broad coalition of state agencies came together to align priorities. Together, EGLE and the departments of Transportation (MDOT); Agriculture and Rural Development; Natural Resources; Labor and Economic Opportunity; and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and its Office of Future Mobility and Electrification will coordinate investments in infrastructure, clean energy, manufacturing, workforce development, and environmental stewardship.

Building on existing state plans – including the MHCP, MDOT’s Michigan Mobility 2045 Plan, and statewide workforce strategies – the strategy unifies ongoing initiatives including maritime manufacturing programs, port grants, research centers, and workforce training.

Engagement paved the way. Led by EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes and facilitated by the University of Michigan’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, the year-long effort drew input from more than 200 participants across government, industry, academia, and communities. Site visits, interviews, workshops, and draft reviews helped ensure the plan reflects on-the-ground needs and opportunities.

That vision now moves into its next phase. The Governor’s Jan. 27 announcement opened a 30-day window for public review and comment before the strategy is formally adopted. Michiganders are invited to read the draft strategy at Michigan.gov/Maritime and send feedback to Simon Belisle, BelisleS@Michigan.gov, by Feb. 27. 

The strategy reinforces the idea that Michigan waters, long a source of pride, will continue to be a wellspring of prosperity, resilience, and opportunity for generations to come.