Mississippi will be playing a key role in a tri-state partnership aimed at boosting economic development and job growth.
The Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia Network for Evolving Transportation (MAGNET) initiative will be headquartered at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and will create a research and development hub for research-enabled mobility innovation that drives economic and workforce development.
The host higher learning institution will be joined by the University of Georgia and Mississippi State University in sharing expertise in all aspects of the automotive industry and emerging technologies. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the governors of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, along with the CEOs of Southern Company, Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Mississippi Power, and the presidents of the three universities.
“Mississippi State University is a national leader in mobility systems research and development and widely recognized for our collaborative culture and many successful partnerships,” Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum said. “We are honored to join with the State of Mississippi, Southern Company, and our peers in Alabama and Georgia on the MAGNET team.”
The advanced automotive manufacturing boom is advancing rapidly in the southeastern U.S., presenting the nation economic and national security opportunity to capture global leadership over the next decade.
According to a press release, MAGNET combines the resources, insights, and expertise of leaders in government, academia, and business in the three states to support the development of an ecosystem that will have significant positive impacts on the prosperity, health, and security of Americans.
“Companies across the world are investing billions of dollars into their electric fleets, and we need to be able to make the case that those vehicles should be built here,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said. “By bringing together the collective resources and assets of our three states, this partnership will put us at the front of the pack nationally when it comes to innovation in the EV space. This forward-thinking approach will mean jobs and opportunities for countless Mississippi families.”
MAGNET organizes the region’s capabilities and resources into a single, coordinated effort to ensure that transportation advancements benefits from a well-supported infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and an innovation pipeline. These efforts will be integrated with the resources and capabilities of the trio of universities, along with the 120-plus entities committed to supporting accelerated U.S. transportation technology and the onshoring of key advanced auto manufacturing capabilities.
