A team led by U-M researchers shaped the development of the new Michigan Maritime Strategy, a 10-year plan by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that’s designed to protect the Great Lakes, create jobs and strengthen the watery traditions and opportunities that are so much a part of Michigan life.

A study by U-M-affiliated experts shows that AI-driven productivity and efficiency has become the new marker of company success and market direction. Contrary to the growth-at-all costs mantra of previous years, investors are now rewarding companies that drive revenue per employee—an increasing societal challenge since it also increases layoffs.

A new U-M study, supported by models from Argonne National Laboratory, shows that fully electric used vehicles offer consumers the greatest savings over a lifetime of ownership. That’s highly significant, since transportation is the second-largest portion of the average household’s budget.

he city recently has experienced labor disputes, high interest rates, shifting trade policies and uncertainty surrounding its auto industry. However, U-M economists consider this volatility ‘a pause in its growth path,’ and expect moderate growth over the next five years.

Breaking records: U-M reported a record $2.16 billion in research expenditures during FY25, helping launch 31 startups and receiving 673 new invention reports. Nonfederal funding reached a record $213 million, and a record $699 million in internally sponsored expenditures shows a 5.3% increase over 2024.

Trade tensions, policy shifts, and ongoing supply chain disruptions have reshaped the global landscape, signaling that the future of international trade will diverge sharply from past patterns. In this Q&A, Professor Erik Gordon offers perspective on how these developments will likely influence the strategies and operations of multinational companies in the years ahead.

To the average observer, it was a 4,000-square-foot building situated on rural M-72 near Sleeping Bear Dunes. To Jim Lively, it was an opportunity to create a year-round farmer’s market for the local community, which had lost its grocery store several years before. The Lively NeighborFood Market opened last summer and has already paid out $60,000 to local farmers. Its model? Ann Arbor’s Argus Farm Stop.

Consumer sentiment plummeted 12% in March, falling for the third straight month. While current economic conditions were little changed, the forward-looking expectations index plunged a precipitous 18% and has now lost more than 30% since November 2024, said economist Joanne Hsu, director of the University’s Surveys of Consumers.

While Americans’ assessments of personal finances inched up for the fifth consecutive month in January, both the short- and long-run business outlook weakened, says economist Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers.