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University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships
University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships
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MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub awards $2M to advance mobility-related research in collaboration with the EV Center

7/23/2025

The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub hosted by Innovation Partnerships, in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Center, has announced the allocation of over $2 million to support 13 promising research projects. These initiatives span from early to mid-stage development and represent research from six universities across Michigan, including Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, Oakland University, Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor and Flint campuses.

“MTRAC Transportation is essential to maintaining Michigan’s leadership in mobility and transportation innovation,” said Ben Cohen, MTRAC Advanced Transportation Oversight Committee member and the vice president for strategy, sales excellence and marketing at Forvia Hella and Hella Ventures. “By accelerating transformative technologies, this program ensures our state not only leads today but defines the future of how the world moves.”

Selected projects aim to advance a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including solar cells, radar systems, simulation software and lithium batteries. Awardees will benefit from an array of commercialization resources and support, including networking opportunities with industry partners, coaching and mentoring from the MTRAC team and access to an industry and venture capital advisory board.

The MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub and EV Center announced their partnership in February of this year. This collaboration is designed to support researchers from across Michigan by driving translational research projects with high commercial potential and advancing innovation in mobility and transportation through the infusion of an additional $1 million in funding for the 2025 MTRAC Transportation cycle.

“We are excited to partner with the MTRAC Advanced Transportation Hub,” said Alan Taub, director of the Electric Vehicle Center. “I believe that the combination of MTRAC’s commercialization prowess and the EV Center’s dedicated technology research funding framework will help bring new and novel mobility projects to life.”

The EV Center is backed by a $130 million investment from Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and is dedicated to advancing electric vehicle technology and talent. The program does this by connecting researchers, educators and industry leaders to address challenges and expand opportunities in transitioning to vehicle electrification.

Administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub is funded by the Michigan Strategic Fund and the Economic Development Administration’s Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network (MAIN) through TechTown Detroit. Since its inception in 2014, MTRAC Advanced Transportation has awarded over $7 million to transportation-related projects, leading to more than $96.5 million in follow-on funding and the creation of 25 startups.

“Programs like the MTRAC Innovation Hubs and Technology Transfer Talent Network (T3N) are among the most effective programs in the MEDC’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship unit,” said MEDC University Technology Program Director Larry Herriman. “These programs provide vital funding and mentorship support for early-stage projects, giving them the structure to evolve into full-fledged startups that can change Michigan’s economy for the better.”

This year’s award recipients and their projects include:

  • Xiwen Gong – Extending Drone Flight Time with High Power-to-Weight Perovskite Solar Cells (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)
  • Vasileios Tzoumas – Morphable Omnidirectional Quadrotor via a Novel Tilt-Rotor Technology (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)
  • Jun Chen – Sensor Reduction for Large Battery Packs – (Oakland University)*
  • Jason Siegel – Democratizing Battery Expansion Measurements for Rapid Assessment of Formation Protocols and Enhanced Safety (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)*
  • Aline Eid – Radar Vision for Autonomous Indoor Navigation (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)
  • Muralidhar Ghantasala – Virtual Torque Sensor estimation improvements via online training (AI/ML) (Western Michigan University)
  • Jinghao Li – Transformation of Mycelium Residues and Biomass Waste into a Green Matrix for Sustainable Asphalt Pavement (Western Michigan University)
  • Pingsha Dong – Reliable and efficient virtual durability engineering (VDE) simulation software (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)
  • Joshua Siegel – Acoustic System for Road Maintenance Equipment Diagnostics (Michigan State University)
  • Rui Chen and Yunguo Guan – Development of an Integrated Vehicle Structural Health Monitoring System for Real-Time Safety Alerts and Advanced Data Analytics (Eastern Michigan University)
  • Daniel Aloi – Low-Cost Antenna\Radar Measurement System for Transportation (Oakland University)
  • Ali Arefifar and Shima Afshar – Harmonic and Thermal Optimization for Cost-Effective EV Charging Systems (University of Michigan – Flint)*
  • Chengcheng Fang – Ultralight, ultrathin current collectors for lithium batteries (Michigan State University)*

*Projects delineated with an asterisk will be funded through the Electric Vehicle Center. 

Finalists presented their proposals before an oversight committee composed of experienced technologists, entrepreneurs, industry partners and venture capitalists. The committee provided feedback to each applicant and will continue to mentor all who applied.

“Michigan’s researchers are continually at the forefront of mobility innovation, and MTRAC Advanced Transportation is proud to support their work,” said Denise Graves, commercialization program director for MTRAC Advanced Transportation.

“This year’s funding recipients will be joining a cohort of exceptionally talented and hard-working innovators driving transportation and mobility research forward.” 

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness, and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.