Economic development infrastructure
Turn what your region knows into contracts, partnerships and jobs.
Connect Space is the industry engagement platform behind a decade of statewide supplier programs: searchable company and capability profiles, buyer and supplier matchmaking, program events and impact reporting in one connected system.
Regional intelligence
Find the right capability
Search by capability, certification, industry or need…
Advanced manufacturing
Minority-owned
Within 100 mi.
Atlas Advanced Systems
Northstar Mobility Labs
Great Lakes Components
15,000+
curated buyer and supplier meetings
$8B+
in new contracts supported
10+ years
powering statewide initiatives
90%
average meeting attendance
Events are only the beginning
Your ecosystem shouldn't disappear between initiatives.
Economic development teams already collect valuable information through business visits, events, applications, surveys and partner programs. The challenge is turning that fragmented information into a shared, living picture of the region. Connect Space gives that work a connected home, so company capabilities stay visible, opportunities reach the right organizations, and every interaction strengthens the intelligence behind the next one.
Without a connected layer
- Static directories go stale
- Event data dies in one-time lists
- Supplier knowledge stays with individuals
- Outcomes are hard to trace
With Connect Space
- Profiles stay persistent and searchable
- Every program feeds one source of truth
- Opportunities trigger targeted outreach
- Activity connects to measurable outcomes
From data to opportunity
Understand the region. Activate it with precision.
01
Build the intelligence layer
Rich company and technology profiles: capabilities, certifications, ownership, capacity, interests, needs and geography.
02
Discover regional fit
Search beyond industry codes to find the companies and partners that match a real requirement.
03
Curate the connection
Invite best-fit organizations, manage interest and create one-to-one meetings online or at live events.
04
Measure what follows
Connect participation, introductions, opportunities and reported outcomes across initiatives and over time.
One platform, many mandates
Built for the work economic developers already do.
Supplier discovery & localization
Find capable in-region suppliers by structured capabilities, not just a name and a NAICS code.
Buyer and supplier matchmaking
Capture requirements, identify fit, curate meetings that help buyers find new sources and suppliers win new work.
Technology & startup ecosystems
Keep emerging technologies and pilot-ready companies continuously discoverable to corporate partners.
Business engagement
Maintain an ongoing digital relationship with companies through targeted resources, programs and communications.
Training & resource delivery
Run workshops, gate resources, track attendance and credits across the programming calendar.
Events & strategic initiatives
Run summits, roundtables and matchmaking programs without separating event execution from ecosystem intelligence.
Matchmaking
Matchmaking that ends in real meetings
Buyers tell you what they're looking for. Suppliers apply, and your team reviews every application before the pick lists open. Then buyers rank who they want to meet, and Connect Space turns those picks into a best-fit day of one-on-ones and roundtables.
Every meeting carries live accept and decline states, rooms refuse double bookings, and each attendee walks in with a personal schedule for the day. Pure Michigan Business Connect runs 40+ summits a year this way, averaging 90% meeting attendance.
A connected source of truth
Every profile gets smarter with every interaction.
Searchable profiles
Capabilities, certifications, ownership, technologies and needs.
Opportunity workflows
RFIs, applications, buyer needs and targeted invitations.
Year-round engagement
Communications, resources, communities and programming.
Impact intelligence
Participation, meetings, relationships and reported outcomes.
Company profile
Atlas Advanced Systems
Looking for
New buyer relationships
Pilot programs
Tier 2 partnerships
Recent activity
Buyer meeting completed
RFI submitted
Workshop attended
Proven statewide
Pure Michigan Business Connect
A decade of turning strategic introductions into measurable opportunity.
Connect Space powers the digital infrastructure behind a statewide supplier ecosystem: company intelligence, event execution and curated buyer and supplier engagement in one system.
$8B+
new contracts generated
15K+
curated meetings
40+
summits annually
40K+
jobs supported
“Using this management software has exceeded my expectations and has also provided unique ways to improve the overall event experience.”
Robert Chasnis, Development & Operations Manager
Activate what you already know
Your ecosystem is full of opportunity. Make it discoverable.
Show us how your team collects company data, runs programs and facilitates connections today. We'll show you what it looks like connected.