SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— An eastern Upper Peninsula project has received more than $512,000 in state funding to further Advanced Aerial Mobility technology in Michigan.
AAM is a new type of transportation that uses electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to move people and cargo between places not currently or easily served by surface transportation or existing aviation modes.
Skyports will launch three pilot projects with commercial partners, starting with ship-to-shore drone delivery services in Sault Ste. Marie and Detour Village, in partnership with Interlake Steamships. Officials say the ship-to-shore program aims to validate the potential of drones to be used as an efficient delivery solution—one that could reduce emissions from anchored vessels and optimize maritime logistics in the Great Lakes.
The funding will be provided through the AAM Activation Fund, a collaborative effort between the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which aims to increase coordination across State entities and create a centralized pipeline of projects that can accelerate AAM readiness and growth in the state.
