Downtown
23rd October 2009 14:45

I was out in downtown Detroit last night with some industry folks. There is a micro brewery here that is well worth a visit if you are ever in town.

The urban blight you can see close by – derelict buildings, for example – never fails to make an impression. The local economy here has clearly taken a pounding, not just lately but over decades. As a taxi driver remarked, there needs to be innovation and a degree of diversification to successfully turn things around. I guess there aren't any easy answers for a place that has historically relied so heavily on autos. It is truly sobering to see what can happen to a city that is so reliant on one industry when that one industry gets into trouble.

I have met some good people this week though, at the OEMs and at various Tier 1 suppliers. There is certainly no shortage of committed, bright and talented people in this vicinity and in that respect, people can at least live in hope.

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