Recovery to Restart: How Michigan’s Supply Chain is Responding to Disruption

The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic does not yet allow a look into the future. Infection incidence and rates are neither predictable nor can they be effectively controlled. As a result, there is still uncertainty around how the effects of this health crisis will impact our societies and economies long term. This paper provides initial insights into what conclusions can be drawn from the pandemic’s first wave and how Michigan industries can be prepared for disruptions in the future. The paper addresses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Michigan's supply chains and how the state managed through the initial first wave (recovery), what was learned, and how the state can best move forward (restart). However, in addition to the numerous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, silver linings have been identified.

This paper is based on an aggregate of voices from an Industry 4.0 Roundtable at Automation Alley’s Integr8 Conference, which took place in November of 2020, and is produced by Fraunhofer USA and Automation Alley. Fraunhofer USA, a legally independent US affiliate founded by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, is an R&D organization working with industry, universities, and state and federal governments on contract research projects. These research efforts are geared entirely to people’s needs: health, security, communication, energy and the environment. Contributions to this paper were made by experts from Fraunhofer USA and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.