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The Projects series consists of documents relating to some of the major programs IDD has initiated. Along with a small number of administrative records, most of the documents in this series are project proposals and status reports of each program. The following subseries hold substantial records. The "Aluminum Study" examined the economic and environmental impacts of the replacement of iron and steel with aluminum in many industries. The "Automotive Community Adjustment Program" attempted to confront problems caused by the loss of jobs in the automotive industry during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The "Innovation Center" was designed to facilitate the transfer of technology developed in academic research laboratories to the commercial sector and to stimulate the formation of small high-technology companies. In the "Mills Study," IDD worked through a grant from the Office of Economic Expansion within the Michigan Department of Commerce to explore the possibility of establishing a mill to recycle scrap iron into steel.