This is the second attempt Detroit is making to capture the drone manufacturing business. Three mayors ago around 2006 the city made a major push to attract drone manufacturers. At the old City Airport there had been a school for training airplane mechanics. The city at the time was hemorrhaging money and kept cutting the budget for the school until it collapsed.

So they took those same buildings and offered cheap rent to drone companies. They attracted a half dozen drone startups. There were no longer any commercial flights at the airport, just the occasional private jet so there was plenty of room for drone test flights. I attended a meeting there and was pleasantly surprised both at the tech and the enthusiasm. Unfortunately the Chinese also had their eye on the drone market and crushed American manufacturers.

Now the city has re-launched the airplane mechanics school in the old airport buildings. The focus for drone manufacturing is now downtown and they're aiming at defense and commercial delivery markets. Detroit has to advantages: low cost and its the manufacturing capital of the United States with lots of resources to offer a startup.

For those lacking a NY Times subscription: https://archive.is/slfZ1