Chippewa County Turns into Epicenter for Superior Digital Drone Operations Hub with Help from State, Trade, and Analysis Companions
Chippewa County, MI. – A brand new public-private partnership has launched in Michigan’s Jap Higher Peninsula to advance drone-based mobility options and airspace administration. Funded via the Michigan Workplace of Future Mobility and Electrification’s (OFME) Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP), the mission will set up a regional Operations Middle in Chippewa County, enabling near-border business and safety drone operations via real-time situational consciousness and FAA-authorized visitors coordination providers.
Led by ANRA Applied sciences, the initiative brings collectively the Chippewa County Financial Growth Company (CCEDC), Censys Applied sciences, and the Michigan Tech Analysis Institute (MTRI). The collaboration goals to place Chippewa as a strategic testbed for scalable non-public and public Uncrewed Plane System (UAS) deployment throughout Michigan.
“This mission exemplifies Michigan’s dedication to main the way forward for superior air mobility by constructing the inspiration for a scalable drone ecosystem for the Higher Peninsula,” stated Justine Johnson, Michigan Chief Mobility Officer on the Michigan Financial Growth Company. “Via public-private partnerships reminiscent of this, we’re igniting a catalyst for innovation that may drive long-term development in a transformative sector—benefiting each public providers and personal enterprise alike.”
“At ANRA, we’re dedicated to constructing the digital infrastructure wanted to soundly scale drone operations throughout the nation,” stated Amit Ganjoo, Founder and CEO of ANRA Applied sciences. “This mission in Chippewa County isn’t just about deploying expertise, it’s about demonstrating how public-private collaboration can unlock actual worth for communities via smarter, safer airspace administration.”
Chippewa County’s location, bordering Canada and close to worldwide waterways just like the St. Marys River, makes it a perfect launch level for near-border drone operations. Its strategic setting helps real-world testing for cross-border coordination, regulatory alignment, and scalable functions in commerce, safety, and infrastructure monitoring.
“This mission represents a big leap ahead for Chippewa County as we embrace modern mobility options that align with our area’s strengths in aviation, expertise, and cross-border logistics,” stated Chris Olson, President of the Chippewa County Financial Growth Company. “We’re particularly excited to host ANRA’s Working Image on the Chippewa County Worldwide Airport (CIU), establishing an area hub for real-time drone visitors coordination and regional airspace administration.”
The deployment will combine ANRA’s FAA-authorized airspace administration platform with Censys Applied sciences’ long-endurance UAS, making a unified operational image to help missions reminiscent of emergency response, infrastructure inspection, and logistics. Censys brings deep experience as a nationwide chief in securing regulatory approvals for superior drone operations, making them a perfect companion for demonstrating how BVLOS flights might be safely and compliantly scaled in real-world environments.
“Deploying our UAS alongside ANRA’s platform in a mission-critical, near-border atmosphere showcases how American-made drone expertise can ship actual affect,” stated Trevor Perrott, CEO of Censys Applied sciences. “We’re honored to be a part of a mission that pairs innovation with regional goal.”
Along with conducting drone operations, Michigan Tech Analysis Institute will lead information analytics and efficiency analysis actions, leveraging native testing infrastructure and a long time of analysis excellence in autonomy and distant sensing.
“MTRI is worked up to contribute our technical experience, each within the area and within the lab to make sure that mission outcomes are measurable, scalable, and scientifically sound,” stated Dr. Colin Brooks, Transportation Program Space Supervisor at MTRI. “We see this as a proving floor for each coverage and expertise.”
Michigan is jumpstarting its superior air mobility economic system by constructing the infrastructure and partnerships wanted for protected, scalable UAS operations. In July of 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an Government Directive 2025-4 Establishing the Michigan Superior Air Mobility Initiative and thru packages like MMFP, the state is laying a basis for development in superior air mobility, attracting funding, and increasing alternatives in business, public security, and logistics sectors.
“Chippewa’s location, terrain, and entry to numerous customers make it an ideal place to mature UAS methods,” stated Melinda Marion, Precision Strategy LLC. “This mission demonstrates the power of Michigan’s ecosystem and the worth of cross-sector collaboration.”
The mission’s preliminary section will start in July 2025 with companion alignment, tabletop workouts, and simulation actions. Stay flights and real-world missions will comply with in 2026, with remaining outcomes anticipated by Q3 2026.
About ANRA Applied sciences
ANRA Applied sciences delivers superior airspace administration options for uncrewed methods, supporting mission administration, UTM, operations facilities, and superior air mobility. ANRA holds the FAA’s first Letter of Acceptance for non-vertically built-in Strategic Coordination providers and is the one airspace administration supplier licensed by the European Union Aviation Security Company. Centered on security, effectivity, and scale, ANRA is enabling the way forward for autonomous flight. Study extra at www.anratechnologies.com.
About CCEDC
The Chippewa County Financial Growth Company’s mission is to encourage financial development via strengthening the county’s aggressive place and facilitating investments that construct capability, create jobs, generate financial alternative, and enhance high quality of life. The Chippewa County EDC additionally manages the Chippewa County Worldwide Airport (airciu.com) and the Kincheloe Industrial Park.
About MTRI
The Michigan Tech Analysis Institute (MTRI) is a analysis middle of Michigan Technological College. We take a holistic view of the distant sensing drawback area – from goal understanding, sensing optimization, and superior processing, to using new mathematical paradigms to extract data from current and non-traditional information sources. MTRI has over 100 analysis workers funded solely via exterior grants and contracts, together with scientists protecting numerous analysis areas, with PhDs and Grasp’s Levels in Environmental Science, Biology, Engineering, Laptop Science, Arithmetic, and Physics, amongst others.
About Censys Applied sciences
Censys Applied sciences is an American aerospace firm specializing in long-range, fixed-wing vertical takeoff and touchdown (VTOL) drones designed for Past Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Headquartered in Daytona Seaside, Florida, Censys gives totally built-in options combining American-made, NDAA-Compliant UAV {hardware}, field-swappable payloads, AI-powered information analytics via its CensWise platform, and complete FAA regulatory help. Their flagship Sentaero sequence serves crucial infrastructure, public security, environmental monitoring, and protection sectors—enabling clients to gather smarter, safer, and extra actionable information throughout complicated operational environments.
In regards to the Michigan Workplace of Future Mobility & Electrification
The State of Michigan’s Workplace of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Michigan Financial Growth Company, the Michigan Division of Labor and Alternative, the Michigan Division of Transportation, the Michigan Division of Atmosphere, Nice Lakes and Vitality, and the Government Workplace of the Governor. Launched in early 2020, OFME works throughout state authorities, academia and personal business to reinforce Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, together with creating dynamic mobility and electrification insurance policies and supporting the startup and scale up of rising applied sciences and companies. OFME performs a coordinating function – nestled between a number of state businesses — uniquely positioning the workplace to speed up mobility innovation in Michigan. Study extra about OFME.
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