A Colorado startup is bringing a concrete-printing robot to Detroit. The state is helping pay for it.
The Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a $1.6 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant to Alquist 3D last week. Crain's Detroit Business first reported the award. The company plans to invest at least $31.25 million in a new facility in Detroit and create up to 162 jobs over five years.
The facility is going into Newlab, inside Corktown's old Book Depository building. It will house R&D and manufacturing space covering robotics production, engineering development, workforce training, and the continued advancement of 3D construction printing for commercial and residential projects. Alquist is calling it a Robotics and Engineering Center of Excellence.
Alquist evaluated seven other states before landing on Michigan. Nebraska, Georgia, Arizona, Arkansas, Minnesota, and North Carolina were all on the list. The company cited the state's manufacturing ecosystem, education infrastructure, and access to an experienced industrial workforce.
The workforce piece is central to the pitch. Alquist is the only 3D construction printing company offering a training curriculum built in direct partnership with community colleges and trade schools. Since September 2024, the program has trained more than 200 students. In Michigan, the company is in active discussions with Henry Ford College, Wayne State University, and the University of Michigan, among other schools.
The technology itself is a robotic arm that extrudes concrete layer by layer, replacing conventional wood or steel framing with a printed structure. Alquist has previously partnered with Habitat for Humanity on residential projects in Virginia.
Detroit's housing shortage made it a natural landing spot. The city has spent years trying to rebuild its single-family stock, and traditional construction costs remain a brake on development in lower-income neighborhoods. A printer that builds walls faster and at reduced labor cost will draw attention from developers and nonprofit builders alike.
The Newlab corridor has been pulling in mobility and advanced manufacturing startups steadily, anchored by the Michigan Central station district nearby. Alquist's arrival extends that run.
The grant is performance-based. The company draws funds as it hits job-creation milestones, not in a lump sum. The facility has not yet opened.
