Tim Cook Moves To Appease Trump? Apple Launches Manufacturing Academy In Detroit, Set To Commence In August

In response to mounting pressure from the Trump administration to create more jobs in the U.S., Apple Inc. AAPL is launching a manufacturing academy in Detroit.

What Happened: The Apple Manufacturing Academy, to be run by Michigan State University, will offer workshops on manufacturing and artificial intelligence to small and medium-sized businesses. The program is set to commence in August.

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Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Sabih Khan, stated that the initiative aims to “train the next generation of U.S. manufacturers.” The company had previously pledged to open the academy as part of a larger commitment to invest over $500 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.

“With this new programming, we’re thrilled to help even more businesses implement smart manufacturing so they can unlock amazing opportunities for their companies and our country,” stated Khan

Apple’s Detroit-based developer academy, in collaboration with Michigan State, is the only one of its kind in the U.S. The company also operates 18 developer academies worldwide, including in countries where it seeks to foster strong relationships with governments.

Despite initiatives like assembling AI servers in Houston and sourcing chips from a TSMC TSMC plant in Arizona, the Trump administration is still pushing Apple to produce iPhones in the U.S.—a move experts say would be costly and time-consuming.

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Why It Matters: Earlier this month, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro expressed his dissatisfaction with Apple CEO Tim Cook for not relocating the company’s manufacturing facilities out of China, referring to this as the “longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley.”

Analysts have also suggested that Apple might benefit from a new CEO to prioritize product innovation, particularly in the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence, amid concerns over AI failures and an innovation slump.

Despite these challenges, Apple is gearing up for a significant rebound in the second half of fiscal 2025, driven by the highly anticipated launch of new product cycles, including a ‘slim’ iPhone, and sustained momentum in its lucrative Services division.

However, Apple’s strategic manufacturing plans have faced hurdles. As the company ramps up iPhone production in India, experts previously warned that the recent U.S.-China trade reset could derail Delhi’s factory ambitions and threaten Apple’s long-term value-added growth plans.

Benzinga’s Edge Rankings place Apple in the 80th percentile for quality and the 33rd percentile for growth, reflecting strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. 

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.