The Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN) took to Orlando, Florida, over the past week to pitch Pittsburgh as the robotics capital of the world during the Association for Advancing Automation's (A3) Business Forum.
As an annual event, which PRN's Director of Strategic Partnerships & Programs Jenn Apicella said saw an attendance of about 500 people this year, A3's Business Forum is a chance for those working in the robotics industry to network and connect with each other. It also aims to connect those who are looking to implement robotics-based technologies into their own businesses with relevant robotics companies.
According to Apicella, the event allowed PRN to showcase all that Pittsburgh has to offer, from its autonomous vehicle companies that call the region home to warehousing and logistics-based robotics companies operating throughout western Pennsylvania, and all of those in-between. It also served as an opportunity for PRN, an organization that includes memberships from dozens of Pittsburgh-area robotics companies, to emphasize that Pittsburgh remains a serious and worthwhile contender in the ever-growing robotics world.
"You hear a lot in the press and maybe Pittsburgh is starting to improve in this area, but Boston has a well-established reputation for their leadership in the space; Silicon Valley, of course, is known for tech and all things tech; and Pittsburgh now I think is starting to show up on those global headlines in different key areas. So it's really important that Pittsburgh continues to do that work because what's well-known here needs to be well-known across industry, across the world," Apicella said. "When we go to these industry conferences and it's everyone in autonomy represented, Pittsburgh should be there en masse. The volume of what we show up with there should be reflective of the actual community and ecosystem that we have here."
For Apicella, that representation isn't limited to just robotics companies working in advanced manufacturing or autonomous vehicles and mobility or transportation automation, nor is it just for those working in construction or ag-tech or "dancing robots," as she said. It's also components makers, suppliers and others working in the global supply chain. It's also an opportunity to forge relationships with those across the industry so that people working in the space will want to come to Pittsburgh and see the work being done in the region first-hand.
PRN also announced it entered into a new partnership with A3 during the forum to better cement Pittsburgh's place in the global robotics conversation. A3 touts itself as a leading global automation trade association representing more than 1,100 organizations involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, motion control and related automation technologies. The partnership will see PRN members receive access to discounts and admission to future members-only events, among other perks. The two organizations also will receive mutual recognition and support for future events and discussions, further solidifying the relationship between the two groups.
“Pittsburgh is already known as a global leader in robotics and automation, but it can be difficult for those not fortunate enough to be based here to have a true understanding of the breadth and scale of the developments that are occurring,” Joel Reed, PRN's executive director, said in a statement. “We look forward to using this partnership with A3, as well as our attendance at the A3 Business Forum, to collaborate with our industry colleagues and expand the reach, influence and connectivity of our regional robotics ecosystem.”
