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MARQUETTE -- InvestUP, a private-sector-led economic development organization based in Marquette, reports a trio of positive business developments in the region.
In the first, an Upper Peninsula partnership has secured $850,000 in small business support to all 15 counties of the U.P.
The MTEC SmartZone, the Lake Superior Community Partnership and Headwaters North have been awarded $850,000 through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Support Hubs 2.0 Program to expand business services.
MTEC SmartZone will serve as the Region 1 Hub, working with LSCP in the central U.P. and Headwaters North in the eastern U.P. The partnership will connect entrepreneurs and small business owners with programming, professional services, and other resources designed to help companies start, operate, grow, and scale.
The program begins Oct. 1, giving U.P. business owners a stronger regional network and an easier outlet to the support they need, regardless of location.
Additionally, the Peninsula Fiber Network has establisheed a permanent U.P. headquarters. The entity has opened a permanent headquarters in Marquette after more than 20 years of operating from temporary office space. The company provides network services across both peninsulas and supports the infrastructure behind every 911 call made in Michigan, with its corporate leadership and 40% of its workforce based in Marquette.
The new office at 1280 Odovero Drive, gives PFN a long-term home as it plans its next phase of growth. That growth includes a proposed fiber route across Lake Michigan into the Chicago market, expanding the reach of a U.P.-based telecommunications company and strengthening the U.P.’s role in statewide digital infrastructure.
Finally, a Houghton-based project has been selected for Michigan Maritime Innovation Funding. The project is among five selected for funding through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform Michigan Maritime Innovation Grant Program. The state is investing $1.5 million across the projects and leveraging another $2 million in private-sector support to advance maritime technology, commercialization, and workforce development, accelerating implementation of the new Michigan Maritime Strategy.
The Freshwater Operational Requirements to Government-Ready Equipment project, known as FORGE, will develop and test an autonomous cold-water first responder for Lake Superior search and rescue operations.
Hawk Technologies in Hancock will work with the Keweenaw County Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard Station Portage and Michigan Tech University's marine autonomy resources to test the system in one of North America's most demanding freshwater environments.
The project puts U.P. engineering and manufacturing experience to work on an important public safety need, with the potential to move the technology toward production and broader use in remote maritime communities.