200+ Michiganders shaped U-M-led state maritime strategy

January 27, 2026
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Participants across the state helped University of Michigan researchers create a state-wide roadmap to strengthen a central part of Michigan life

Four engineers walk down the red deck of a large freighter.
Thomas McKenney (front left), an associate professor of practice in naval architecture and marine engineering, meets with Eric Helder (front right), a naval architect and project engineer at the Interlake Steamship Company. They are walking on the deck of the Mark W. Barker, a lake freighter overwintering at the Nicholson Dock in River Rouge, Mich. Behind them are Logan Cox (left), a Master’s graduate in naval architecture and marine engineering, and Hal Berdichesky (right), a Master’s student in naval architecture and marine engineering. Image credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering.
Thomas McKenney
Thomas McKenney

After talking with lake freighter engineers and shipping company CEOs, boating clubs and ferry captains, frying oil upcyclers and soybean farmers growing crops for biofuels, and many others, Thomas McKenney and his University of Michigan team found a common thread through Michigan’s maritime sector.

“While everyone had a unique perspective and viewpoints, all participants emphasized their strong belief that Michigan can do more and is well-positioned to become a national maritime leader,” said McKenney, an associate professor of practice of naval architecture and marine engineering.

Two massive ships moored at a dock. The freighters dwarf the nearby storage garages. Snow piles dot the dock and the nearby water is frozen.
The Mark W. Barker (front) and Herbert C. Jackson (back) overwinter at the Nicholson Dock in River Rouge, Mich. They are owned by the Interlake Steamship Company, and they carry bulk cargo, such as iron ore, salt, and limestone, across the Great Lakes. Image credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering.

McKenney led the development of the Michigan Maritime Strategy, a 10-year plan released today by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The strategy intersects with the state’s goals to transform its transportation system by 2045 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

To develop the strategy, McKenney’s team consulted with over 200 stakeholders across the state, who represented environmental and health organizations, business and industry, community members and Tribal governments.

“Our holistic approach to maritime development beyond just shipping freight brought together groups that wouldn’t normally engage,” McKenney said. “That allowed us to develop a strategy grounded in the needs and opportunities identified by those most closely connected to Michigan’s maritime future.”

The maritime sector is a major contributor to Michigan’s economy. The state’s 33 active ports handled 57 million tons of cargo in 2023, adding $3.3 billion directly into the economy and supporting more than 17,000 jobs. Its 63 ferries provided an essential link between remote island communities and mainland Michigan.

Alex Ritter, vice president of operations and co-owner of Thumb BioEnergy in Sandusky, Mich., demonstrates how his company cleans fry oil before it is converted into biodiesel. Ritter's company recycles fry oil collected from restaurants throughout Michigan. Most of his product is currently sold out of state, but Ritter provided insight on how to create demand in Michigan. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
Cody Card (right), deckhand at Freedom Boat Club in Bay City, Mich., meets with Logan Cox (back left), a Master's graduate in naval architecture and marine engineering, Owen Baldwin (middle left), a Master’s student in environmental engineering and sustainable systems, and Geoff Lewis (front left), a research specialist lead in the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability's Center for Sustainable Systems. Card shared club member's views on using electric boats. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
Passengers board one of Shepler's Ferries heading to Mackinac Island in Lake Huron from Mackinaw City, Mich. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
One of Shepler's Ferries pulls into Mackinaw City, dropping off passengers from Mackinac Island. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
Chris Shepler (outer right), president of Shepler's Ferry Service meets with Geoff Lewis (outer left), a research specialist lead in the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability's Center for Sustainable Systems, Owen Baldwin (center left), a Master’s student in environmental engineering and sustainable systems, and Logan Cox (center right), a Master's graduate in naval architecture and marine engineering. They discussed the feasibility of electric ferries, alternative fuels and the business's needs and challenges. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
A lake freighter, the Lee A. Tregurtha, makes its way toward Lake Superior through the Soo Locks. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
Cox and Baldwin (right) meet with Carrie Fox (front left), a public affairs officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Soo Project Office, and LeighAnn Ryckeghem (back left), operations manager at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Soo Project Office. They are at the construction site for the new lock, which is planned to open in 2030. Image credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.
Thomas McKenney (left), a professor of practice of naval architecture and marine engineering, tours the Detroit area's waterfront facilities and infrastructure with Mark Schrupp (second left), executive director of the Detroit Wayne County Port. They are in a boat owned and piloted by Walter and Michael Lytacki, owners of the Michigan Marine Terminal. Employees of the American Bureau of Shipping are also present, including (from center) Xiying Zhang, Robert Fernandez and Veneela Ammula. Image credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering.

Michigan also maintains a critical shipping corridor—the Soo Locks, part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. The seaway serves as a major North American trade artery and links Lake Superior’s iron ore deposits—which fill around 85% of demand in the United States—to steel mills in the greater Detroit area, Chicago, Cleveland and Pennsylvania.

Greg Keoleian
Greg Keoleian

“This strategy will generate tremendous benefits from creating Michigan jobs to advancing clean energy transitions and climate action goals, as well as enhancing stewardship of the Great Lakes and ensuring Tribal rights,” said Greg Keoleian, the Peter M. Wege Endowed Professor of Sustainable Systems at U-M’s School for Environment and Sustainability, who contributed to developing the strategy.

The strategy centers on six goals for decision-making, policymaking and investment:

  • Modernize ports and invest in intermodal infrastructure
  • Grow Michigan’s maritime manufacturing economy
  • Accelerate adoption of low- and zero-emission vessel technologies and fuels
  • Lead the nation in recruitment, training and retention of the maritime workforce
  • Cultivate a thriving maritime innovation ecosystem
  • Increase sustainability and resilience of recreation harbors and marinas

An interdepartmental team will implement the strategy over the next five years, including members from the following state departments: Transportation; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Natural Resources; Agriculture and Rural Development, and Labor and Economic Opportunity. They will collaborate with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to fully integrate the strategy into state decision-making processes, align state and national shipbuilding efforts, and establish processes to prioritize and evaluate projects.

The state’s announcement opens an opportunity for additional review and comments by interested parties before the strategy is formally adopted. The draft strategy can be viewed at Michigan.gov/maritime.

Other members of the U-M team included Owen Baldwin, a master’s student in environmental engineering and sustainable systems; Logan Cox, a master’s student in naval architecture and marine engineering; Geoffrey Lewis, a research specialist lead in the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability’s Center for Sustainable Systems; and Shoshannah Lenski, former associate director of the Center for Sustainable Systems.

Keoleian is also a professor of civil and environmental engineering.