Taubman College’s Bryan Boyer has been appointed the inaugural faculty director of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation. Opening in downtown Detroit by fall 2027, UMCI aims to be a premier hub for research, education, and entrepreneurship. The center is designed to foster innovation and cultivate the talent needed for Michigan’s economic growth.
“What makes this opportunity compelling to me is Michigan’s particular mix of strengths, such as hard tech, manufacturing, and operations. But Michigan is also a place of deep community strength, grassroots organizing, and cultural brilliance,” Boyer said. “Detroit offers a rare opportunity to integrate technological innovation and social innovation into a shared project. In light of AI’s shockwaves through tech and, increasingly, the wider world, this combination is critical.”
Boyer is an associate professor of practice in architecture and cofounder of the architecture and strategic design studio Dash Marshall. Since joining Taubman College in 2019, he has contributed significantly, particularly as faculty director of the Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology. This program, which Boyer helped develop, blends technology, design, and urbanism. The program first launched in 2021 and has now expanded to 180 students. Boyer’s new role at UMCI is an extension of his previous work with the Finnish Innovation Fund, aiding in the creation of the Helsinki Design Lab for innovative governmental problem-solving.
Located in a new 200,000-square-foot facility, UMCI will host classrooms, research labs, and design studios. Boyer will oversee UMCI’s academic and research initiatives, starting with new graduate degrees and workforce development programs focused on fields like sustainability and technology.
One of the initial offerings will be Taubman College’s Master of Urban Technology. This one-year degree, built on the success of the bachelor’s program, will prepare students with systems thinking and business skills necessary for transforming the built environment beyond traditional fields.
“We have an obligation and an opportunity to rethink not only curriculum but the institutional forms that support it,” Boyer said. “UMCI can become a platform for testing new models of education that are embedded in place, shaped with partners, and responsive to the transformations AI is accelerating.”
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