Invest Escanaba: Ship Building in Esky? Trends Say It Should be Considered!

Escanaba Light House
Source: Escanaba Post Card Museum

Sometimes its a good idea to capitalize on other investments to maximize impact and dollars. We do know there are things coming into the area that will likely change some of the landscape. We also have other infrastructure advantages such as ports, road and rail. As infrastructure develops, and the Navy considers how to maximize its innovative capacity, they should consider Escanaba as a candidate for an advanced medium to small vessel shipyard. 

Before you judge too harshly the idea. Consider ship building in Marinette-Menominee and how that might be able to hedge coordinated ports in close proximity, the space launch site going in north of Marquette (I think its still going in. I have to check. 🤔) and some other awesomeness in the area. While it would be great for the Navy if they pass we want to attract shipbuilding in general as a cluster advancing industry.

The Escanaba
Source: My Michigan

Let us look at three sort of trends emerging.....

1.) Growing general need for ship building internationally. Growth Ship Building Market Report 2023

2.) China has larger ship yards and more capacity. China Ship Building Outpaces US

3.) Escanaba has a developing deep port (Military, tourism, ore/commercial, ship building, etc.) matched with some local production (Local SME manufacturing and metal work). 

4.) Large infrastructure development in the area. $200 Million MI Esky and MI. Spends on Infrastructure

5.) Innovation and small business military. Rapid Innovation Fund

6.) An "incalculable". Something unique about the place and why its a good cluster location with key characteristics that can't be easily measured or repeated by other nations. As economic synergy is created there is greater economic and innovative value thereby achieving the essential purpose of a cluster as a rapid innovation system. (The simplest answer is an innovative leap under the right economic condition brought forward by a functioning microcosm of a cluster. ) A Decade of Change and Fourth Industrial Era (i.e. the Digital Era. Unknown DC)

Light reading. DC Great Lakes, MultiCluster Ship DC, Esky Downtown Incubator, Incubator Econ Growth, Outperform China