RESEARCH
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CAR Research Groups:

Labor & Industry Group

Manufacturing, Engineering 
& Technology Group

Sustainability & Economic
Development Strategies Group

Transportation Systems
Analysis Group

Publications:
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Staff:
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Sustainability & Economic Development Strategies
Kim Hill, Director

The work of the Sustainability and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) group focuses on the intersection of industry and the public sector. The continued viability and presence of the auto sector requires a strong partnership with state and local officials to sustain the communities that are the heart and backbone of the industry. The SEDS group, through its long-standing Automotive Communities Partnership (ACP) provides the forum and expertise to be a major player in advising states and communities on efforts to retain and attract automotive investment, and to be a facilitator of discussions between the public and private sectors.

A key area of focus for the group is estimating and analyzing economic, tax and employment impacts on the economy resulting from the transportation sector. The economic impact analysis team in the SEDS group is recognized as an authority on the auto industry’s contribution to federal, state, and local economies, having carried out the majority of national-level automotive economic contribution studies completed in the United States since 1992. In recent years, this work has expanded to estimate impacts of connected vehicle systems, alternative fuel fleet purchase programs, and heavy-duty trucking. These impact studies have always proved to be quite valuable in contributing to the dialogue between the automakers and federal and state government representatives.

In sum, the SEDS group’s research focuses on understanding the evolving nature of advanced manufacturing in the nation through its comprehensive tracking of all major automotive facilities in North America, analyzing investment and incentive data, promoting the re-use of recently closed facilities, offering objective advice, and generally promoting collaboration between the automotive sector and communities with the goal of long-term sustainability of both the industry and communities.