ARM 2019 Recap

Industrial robotic arms with empty conveyor belt 3D rendering

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Celebrates 2019 

New headquarters, 200 Member milestone, more projects funded, and more.

December 9, 2019 – As our team reflects on a productive 2019, we would like to extend our gratitude to our members and partners whose continued support catalyzed many formative milestones for us this year. Below is a quick recap of 2019

MILL 19 HEADQUARTERS

In July, we moved into our new headquarters – Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green. Hazelwood is one of Pittsburgh’s 90 unique neighborhoods and is located just a few minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Here, we are co-located with Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Initiative on the first and second floors of the 90,000 square foot facility. ARM Member and local MEP, Catalyst Connection moved into the third floor of the building in November 2019. Our facility boasts a high bay, flexible labs, and office space. We formally opened Mill 19 on September 4, 2019 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with CMU and Catalyst Connection.

Mill 19, in addition to providing ARM and our members with new opportunities, also offers a compelling regional story. Mill 19 sits within the steel frame of the former Jones & Laughlin (J&L) Steel Company building. J&L was a critical part of the Hazelwood neighborhood, at one point employing 13,000 neighborhood residents in 1960. When Ling-Temco-Vought Incorporation (LTV) purchased the site in 1974, this number dropped to 3,600 workers before shuttering completely in 1997. The site remained empty after the plant’s closure. In 2002, several Pittsburgh foundations worked together to purchase the land and began working on environmental remediation and a redevelopment plan. More about Hazelwood Green’s history is available here. 

Constructing the building within the steel frame showcases our dedication to forming the future of manufacturing while honoring the past.

MORE PROJECTS FUNDED & FIRST PROJECTS COMPLETED

In 2019, we released two new Technology Project Calls and one Education & Workforce Development Project Call. From our 2019 released calls, we funded ten new Technology Projects and 11 new Education/Workforce Development Projects

Additionally, we celebrated our first set of completed projects! Below is a list of our newly completed projects:

ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING

With more than 230 registrants, our 2019 Member Meeting was our largest to date. Directly responding to Member feedback, we diversified our content and expanded the event to cover 2.5 days. Our new content included: a Member Showcase area where interested members exhibited their products and capabilities, a guest speaker from a venture capitalist firm, five minute project overviews, an evening reception at Mill 19 with our project posters on display, and more. Stayed tuned for a save the date for our 2020 Member Meeting!

ANNUAL MEMBER PRIORITIES SURVEY

We completed our first annual Member Priorities Survey in the fall of 2018. The results of this survey can be viewed on the ARM Exchange in the Member Community. In direct response to this survey, we created the ARM Exchange – a new knowledge-base component within the digital Member Community where Members can access exclusive ARM research and contribute their own content. With the launch at the 2019 Member Meeting, we debuted several new use cases that objectively analyze member activities. We also released five Innovation Brief documents that take a deep dive into our technology focus areas. This research can be accessed through the ARM Member Community. Email [email protected] if you need help logging in or are interested in contributing content.

The results of our Annual Member Priorities Survey guides our activities. Our 2019 survey focused in on our project calls. In direct response to the provided feedback, we returned to our minimum 1:1 cost-share requirement. We plan to share the survey results in early 2020.

225 MEMBERS

This has been a record year for our membership recruitment! Less than three years after our formation in 2017, we added our 200th Member in August. Since August, this number grew to more than 220. This was a key milestone for our membership that spans large robotic solution providers, start-ups, education/workforce training organizations, small, medium and large manufacturers, traditional universities, community colleges, and more. ARM Members bridge the gaps between industry, government, and academia to collaborate on the future of manufacturing through technology and workforce innovations.

LEADERSHIP UPDATES

A number of leadership updates took place in 2019. This fall, Lisa Masciantonio was named Chief Workforce Officer. Prior to this role, Lisa served as our Director of Membership & Outreach. In May, Lisa was named our interim CWO and managed our first Education & Workforce Development Solutions Summit that informed the content for our 2019 EWD Call.

We also added a number of new experts to our Board of Directors. Mr. Brett Lambert, a founding member of ARM’s Board, was named the Chair of ARM’s Board of Directors. We also welcomed Dr. Edward Tunstel (Associate Director of Robotics and Robotics Group Leader at United Technologies Research Center), Dr. Marcia Ballinger (President of Lorain County Community College), and Mr. Eli Evankovic (CEO of Premier Automation) to the Board of Directors.

Additionally, Dr. Byron Clayton, current ARM CEO, announced his resignation as he looks to move into the next stage of his career. Our Board is currently working with a national search agency to name a new CEO. Dr. Clayton is staying on-board in the interim period to ensure a smooth transition.

UP NEXT FOR 2020

In 2020, we will move forward with selections for both our Education & Workforce Development Project Call and our Special Technology Project Call. Members can also look forward to more project calls.

Learn more about our active project calls here.

LEARN MORE & MEMBERSHIP

Email [email protected] if you have any questions about the activities outlined or are interested in becoming a member.

OUR YEAR IN PHOTOS

2019 Recap

OUR YEAR IN THE PRESS

Below are just a few featured articles from 2019:

ARM Featured in Vice News

With help from ARM, WQED expands Inquire Within program to add advanced robotics

ARM Project Registered with PA Dept of Labor & Industry

Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green now open, 15 years in the making

ARM FISH Project Receives Additional NSF Funding

ARM Members Featured in Local Documentary

Are Robots Right for Your Plant?

ABOUT ARM

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) is the nation’s leading collaborative in robotics and workforce innovation. Structured as a public-private partnership, we accelerate transformative robotic technologies and education to increase U.S. global manufacturing competitiveness. Founded in January 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA by Carnegie Mellon University through an independent non-profit, and funded by the Department of Defense, ARM is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. Learn more at www.arminstitute.org.