A commercial and residential window and door manufacturer's latest completed entryway is one for itself following its celebrated launch of a research and development headquarters center at the Mill 19 innovation hub in Hazelwood Green on Monday.
YKK AP Technologies Lab Inc., a subsidiary of Atlanta-based YKK AP Inc., is hoping to use the 7,576 square feet of space for new and emerging tech that is aimed at transforming the construction industry. The YKK Group is a Japan-based group of manufacturing companies, of which YKK AP is one.
Dedicated lab areas as well as access to large bay space will give the company the opportunity to experiment and learn how tech like robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles can be used on construction job sites. A budding partnership with Carnegie Mellon University has already seen students and YKK AP Technologies employees collaborate to develop workplace safety tech and monitoring tools.
"Technology can help solve many issues in today's construction industry, like an aging workforce, safety concerns, and a faster building close-in," Fukada Shiori, chief digital officer at YKK AP Technologies, said in a statement to Pittsburgh Inno. "With technology like AI and robotics, we can fill the gaps and optimize the pace of construction, for example the time it takes to load construction materials into a building, or improved safety on the job site. We chose the U.S., and particularly Pittsburgh, for YKK AP Technology Lab because of the technology and engineering talent."
YKK AP Technologies Lab is the latest of several high-tech-focused tenants that over the past few years have taken on space in the sprawling former steel mill site that's now owned by the Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. About 10 people work out of YKK AP Technology's new space, which neighbors that of Catalyst Connection and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, as well as the Pittsburgh offices for Boston-based autonomous vehicle developer Motional.
The company announced it signed a five-year lease for the space with RIDC last January.
