Altarum’s roots go back to 1946, when a University of Michigan research lab began doing radar and aerospace work for the federal government. That work established an approach to complex, system‑level problems that Altarum still applies today.
Defense and Aerospace Research Origins (1946–1973)
In the years after World War II, the University of Michigan built a federally funded research operation at Willow Run, a wartime bomber plant outside Ann Arbor.
In 1946, University of Michigan engineers William Gould Dow and Emerson W. Conlon secured a War Department contract—known as Project WIZARD—to explore advanced radar and missile‑defense concepts, leading to the creation of the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, the first predecessor of Willow Run Laboratories.
The work included radar development, remote sensing, aerospace systems, and complex data analysis. Over nearly three decades, the program operated under several names: the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, the Willow Run Research Center, and finally Willow Run Laboratories.
This early period established a model for how rigorous research could be applied to large, complex problems. From its earliest days, the organization functioned less as a single‑discipline lab than as an integrator, bringing together expertise from multiple fields to design complete, workable systems.
During the early Cold War period, Willow Run was part of a broader national effort to advance U.S. scientific and technical capacity through sustained federal investment in applied research.
ERIM Is Born (1973–1997)
In 1973, Willow Run Laboratories separated from the University of Michigan and became the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM), an independent nonprofit research institute. As ERIM, the organization continued its advanced technical and applied research, working across defense, remote sensing, and technology domains while deepening long‑standing relationships with federal sponsors.
In 1997, ERIM restructured, creating a for-profit subsidiary known as ERIM International alongside the continuing nonprofit organization. The nonprofit retained ERIM’s leadership, mission, and core research capabilities, while the for-profit entity and its assets later changed hands through a series of ownership transitions.
Throughout this period, ERIM developed a national reputation for applied research conducted in close partnership with federal agencies, emphasizing practical, implementable solutions. That continuing nonprofit organization would go on to acquire Vector Research and adopt the name Altarum Institute in 2001.
Becoming Altarum (2001)
The organization’s direction shifted in 2001, when ERIM acquired Vector Research, marking a significant structural and strategic shift. Vector was a high-end analysis and IT services firm with deep federal decision-modeling capability.
Following the acquisition, the combined organization underwent restructuring, acquisitions, and spin-offs as leadership evaluated where it could have the greatest long-term impact.
The combined organization took a new name: Altarum Institute. The name derives from Latin words meaning “high” and “deep,” reflecting aspiration and depth of expertise.
Over time, leadership concluded that health and health care best matched the organization’s mission and analytic strengths. Health systems posed challenges the organization already knew how to address: large, complex systems shaped by policy, data, incentives, and human behavior that had direct consequences for people and communities. The shift reflected a practical focus on applied work that helped public‑sector partners not just analyze these systems, but run them more effectively over time.
In 2006, Michigan Technological University acquired Altarum’s Environmental and Emerging Technologies Division to form the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI). With this, Altarum completed its transition to an exclusive focus on health and health care.
Expanding Health Research and Communications (2009–2011)
In 2009, Altarum acquired KAI Research, Inc., expanding its clinical research capabilities in support of academic institutions and the National Institutes of Health.
As Altarum’s health work continued to evolve, the organization expanded its capabilities in health and science communications. In 2011, Altarum acquired Palladian Partners, a health communications firm founded in 1996.
Palladian was already well established in the federal health communications space, working with agencies like NIH on public health outreach, science communication, and program support.
The acquisition strengthened Altarum’s ability to pair rigorous analysis with clear, effective communication—an area where many research organizations fall short. This work remains central to how Altarum supports federal clients, enabling end‑to‑end engagement from research and strategy through communication and implementation, with a focus on helping agencies demonstrate results to stakeholders.
Altarum Today
Today, eight decades after its origins at Willow Run, Altarum is a nonprofit working with federal, state, and local government to address some of the most complex challenges in health and public systems. Its work spans population health, public health technology, health communications, and Medicare‑Medicaid integration—delivered through cross-functional teams focused on practical solutions and measurable impact.
What connects Altarum’s early work at Willow Run to its role today isn’t the subject matter: It’s the way the work is done. From the start, the organization has focused on working closely with government partners to build lasting capacity and deliver measurable impact.
Timeline
1946: Altarum’s lineage begins with federally funded defense and aerospace research conducted through University of Michigan–affiliated research organizations at Willow Run.
1946–1972: The organization operates as a series of University of Michigan–affiliated entities, including the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, the Willow Run Research Center, and Willow Run Laboratories.
1973: Willow Run Laboratories separates from the University of Michigan and becomes the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM), an independent nonprofit research institute.
1997: ERIM separates into for‑profit and nonprofit entities, with the for-profit portion operating as ERIM International and the nonprofit continuing independently.
2001: The Environmental Research Institute of Michigan acquires Vector Research, marking a major structural and strategic shift.
Early 2000s: The organization adopts the name Altarum Institute, signaling a reframing of its identity and long-term direction.
2006: Altarum completes its transition to an exclusive focus on health and health care.
2009: Altarum acquires KAI Research, Inc., expanding its clinical research capabilities.
2011: Altarum acquires Palladian Partners, a health and science communications firm founded in 1996.
2026: Altarum launches its Health Data & AI Center of Excellence to support responsible, consistent use of data and AI, turning one-off initiatives into replicable models.
Sources
George Miller Oral History Interview (2024)
History of ERIM by Irvin J. Sattinger
ERIM Acquires Vector Research - Washington Technology
Michigan Tech Research Institute history
Michigan Tech Research Institute: ERIM history (archived)