NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Asian Development Bank, U-M and WDI Partnership to Advance Just Transition, E-mobility, Clean Energy Innovation in Developing Economies

The University of Michigan (U-M), led by the School for Environment and Sustainability, the William Davidson Institute (WDI), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a partnership to strengthen collaboration on sustainable development initiatives across Asia and the Pacific. The collaboration aims to leverage global knowledge across regions to support the clean energy transition in ADB’s developing member countries and builds on shared commitments to inclusive, sustainable growth and country-led development.

Through this initiative, the University of Michigan and WDI will work collaboratively with ADB on a wide range of projects across the Asian region, including in clean energy and e-mobility, climate and health, water, food security, and biodiversity. Experts from U-M and WDI will serve as academic research partners and collaborators to ADB’s teams and their counterparts in the region, ranging from government officials to stakeholders across industry and academia. Established in 1966 and based in Manila, ADB today has 69 member countries, 50 of which are from the Asia-Pacific region.

“This collaboration will help us tap into Michigan’s expertise and access global innovation to create more opportunities to advance inclusive and sustainable development in the region,” said Scott Morris, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank. “By joining forces with the University of Michigan and the William Davidson Institute, ADB is reinforcing our commitment to empowering communities with knowledge, skills, and access to solutions that will build resilience, drive economic opportunity, and shape a more prosperous future for Asia and the Pacific.”​

The partners will commission actionable research, engage in projects in ADB member countries, facilitate regional roundtable discussions, and host cross-learning activities—both in Asia and the Pacific and in Michigan—allowing for knowledge sharing and collaboration among policymakers and practitioners in the region and Michigan-based experts and decision-makers.

“This partnership underscores the University of Michigan’s commitment to global collaboration in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the energy transition and the drive for more sustainable development,” said Jonathan Overpeck, Dean of SEAS. “By connecting University of Michigan’s leadership in workforce and technology innovation and research with deep regional and local expertise across Asia and the Pacific, we can help advance equitable, resilient development. No one nation or region has all the answers, so the benefits of us learning from and with one another are very exciting. Partnerships focused on Asia provide the opportunity for growing our research and innovation impact in society not just at home, but across the globe. The climate crisis is a global problem that requires global solutions.”

SEAS brings the unparalleled strength in the interdisciplinary education, research and innovation that is needed to accelerate the energy transition and create a more resilient and sustainable planet. Working across campus with WDI and ADB creates opportunities for partnerships between universities and other stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific to support a common goal of developing the leaders of tomorrow in a region that has the largest greenhouse gas emissions and is facing the most devastating impacts of the climate crisis. The partners will continue to define and implement joint initiatives through mechanisms such as knowledge sharing, convenings, study tours, training programs, student internships, and access to shared publications.

Recognizing the critical link between human capital and sustainable growth, the collaboration will also promote training and entrepreneurship to connect innovators from ADB member countries with Michigan’s research institutions and entrepreneurship ecosystems and open opportunities for Michigan ventures to access Asian markets. WDI will lead efforts to foster cross-regional learning, business opportunities, technical training, and market access.

“This agreement reflects WDI’s deep belief that innovation and thriving ventures are central to building healthier, more sustainable futures,” said Wendy Taylor, President & CEO of WDI. “By working alongside the University of Michigan and the Asian Development Bank, we’re creating pathways for inclusive economic growth that engage communities, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and accelerate progress toward a clean energy future – from Detroit to Manila.”

The partnership also aims to accelerate e-mobility development by working with key stakeholders to support electric vehicle adoption, supply chain innovation, and workforce development, building on work to date. In July, with support from ADB, WDI released the report “Driving a just transition to e-mobility in the Philippines” with research findings based on its collaboration with ADB and the Apl.de.Ap Foundation International. In addition to extensive market research, WDI’s engagement in the project involved field work in the Philippines and engagement via focus group discussions, interviews and company and university site visits. While the research primarily focuses on the Philippines, the team also examined e-mobility progress in other countries in Southeast Asia, particularly in the policy realm, to contextualize the findings.

The partnership can also capitalize on learning from other regions. WDI’s Energy and Mobility team previously partnered with the State of Chihuahua, Mexico—a region with a heavily automotive and supplier manufacturing base, increasingly looking to transition toward an e-mobility future. The collaboration resulted in the Chihuahua Charging Forward project. In that initiative and related work, WDI’s Energy & Mobility team partnered with local economic development organizations, companies, researchers and innovators along the EV value chain.