The RU4M’s economic impact reaches every Michigan county and totals nearly $24 billion annually. Accounting for $2.7 billion and 90% of academic R&D in the state, the RU4M propels Michigan into the top 10 across the U.S. Recognizing their integral role in Michigan’s educational attainment, economic development, and talent retention, the RU4M has committed to benchmarking performance using robust metrics and comparing their results to those from the best research university research clusters in the nation.

This analysis provides the information necessary for Michigan to compete for talent, federal R&D funding, and the development of technical innovations in industries ranging from agriculture to high-tech manufacturing.