Politicians and business leaders from West Michigan and the Netherlands gathered Thursday night at the Grand Rapids Art Museum to forge new economic ties economic between the two regions.

Growth in the automotive industry had Robert Rodriguez looking for a new home for his company so it could continue to grow and take on new business.

Although the iLabs Innovation Index from the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research rose by over 5 points in the first quarter of 2012, the post-recession recovery has been volatile at best.

The challenges keep coming for Michigan farmers.

If there was a recession, Proficient Machine and Tool hasn’t noticed.

Three entrepreneurial ideas split $60,000 in second-round funding from Start Garden at the organization’s second update night.

2011 proved to be a soft year for innovation activity in the state.

Michigan has four wine trails: the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association, Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula, Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail and Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail.

Due to West Michigan’s climate and latitude, growing conditions are particularly good for producing Northern Italian and Southern German wines, according to Butch Terhaar, of Butch’s Dry Dock in Holland.

Like a good Bordeaux, Michigan’s wine industry has gotten better with age.