Pittsburgh’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute is supporting efforts to build submarines and tactical alloys for the U.S. military through a relatively new Department of Defense community initiative.
Established in 2019, the defense manufacturing community support program is designed to “strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the defense manufacturing industrial ecosystem.”
Headquartered in Hazelwood’s Mill 19, the ARM Institute is now partnered with eleven communities throughout the country. The most recent additions are in Pennsylvania and Texas.
The Pennsylvania group received just under $5 million to help the U.S. Navy triple submarine production to three units each year.
ARM will contribute to that effort by developing training programs that build a talent pipeline and show manufacturers how to automate their production.
The Texas consortium received $5 million to shore up U.S. military supply chain issues using additive, hybrid, and intelligent manufacturing to produce tactical alloys.
To support the training and technical support needed to get that effort up and running, ARM will promote four local robotics programs in southern Texas through the Robotics Career Endorsement program.
Each program was subject to a “meticulous review process” by manufacturing, education, and government stakeholders, according to the program website.
The ARM Institute’s goal is to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers.
Building up a strong U.S. workforce and industrial base ultimately helps “support the warfighter,” Lisa Masciantonio, ARM Institute’s chief workforce officer, said in a statement.
“Our inclusion in almost 50% of Defense Manufacturing Communities highlights the importance of workforce development strategies and robotic and artificial intelligence technologies throughout the nation,” she said.
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