Latest news with #ARMInstitute
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Technical.ly
ARM Institute welcomes a longtime Pittsburgh entrepreneur as its new CEO
Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at pittsburgh@ Every year, Pittsburgh's universities train a new wave of talent, and while some stay to build locally, others take their ideas elsewhere. A longtime robotics entrepreneur with decades of experience shaping Pittsburgh's tech scene is sticking with the city as he assumes a new leadership role at the ARM Institute. Meanwhile, two early-stage founders from the University of Pittsburgh are heading to Philadelphia to grow their startups, and the cofounder of a well-known autonomous trucking company has taken on a new leadership role at General Motors to support its push into self-driving vehicles. Read on below the chart for more on these power moves and other professional changes in the region. ARM Institute appoints robotics entrepreneur as new CEO A new chapter begins at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute today, as its newly appointed CEO officially steps into the role. Jorgen Pedersen, a local robotics entrepreneur, has contributed to the growth of the Pittsburgh robotics scene for more than 25 years. He was one of the founders of Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center and later founded RE2 Robotics, a leading developer of human-like robotic arms for unstructured environments. Pedersen succeeds Ira Moskowitz, who recently retired from the position after being appointed to the role in 2020. When RE2 was acquired by Sarcos Robotics in 2022, Pedersen worked as Sarcos' COO for a year during the transition. He then joined the board of directors for the Pittsburgh-based manufacturing consultancy Catalyst Connection and the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, where he was eventually appointed president. After that, he became the Robotics Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovation Works ' Robotics Factory, where he mentored early-stage robotics founders. 'We're at a pivotal moment where robotics and AI are no longer future technologies — they're ready to transform US manufacturing today,' Pedersen said in a prepared statement. 'I'm honored to join the ARM Institute in its mission to drive innovation, strengthen our industrial base and prepare a workforce ready to thrive alongside advanced technologies.' The ARM Institute is structured as a public-private partnership of over 450 member organizations. Pedersen will continue the ARM Institute's work of fostering collaboration between government, industry and academia to make robotics, automation and AI more accessible to manufacturers. Pittsburgh loses two founders to Philly-based fellowship program Two researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are leaving the city to develop their innovations across the state. Molecular pharmacology graduate student Olayemi Grace Akinyele and AI health researcher Thomas Tam have been selected for the University City Science Center 's year-long Founders Fellowship program in Philadelphia. The life sciences builders will receive hands-on experience on tackling challenges related to aging populations. Akinyele will work on developing her bioengineered platform that would preserve mitochondria, the parts of the cell that produce energy, even after they've been removed from the body. Since mitochondria have emerged as a biomarker for early detection of Alzheimer's, the new technology could make it easier to research the disease in the future. Tam will also leave Pittsburgh to continue working on his AI-powered medication guardrails, which aim to fix the current error-prone process of tracking medications across different care settings. Tam's venture was previously supported by Carnegie Mellon's Project Olympus Incubator Program and the Pittsburgh-based Patient Safety Fellowship. Cofounder of Aurora leaves for General Motors Aurora cofounder Sterling Anderson announced his resignation as the autonomous trucking company's chief product officer in May, following the launch of Aurora's self-driving trucks in Texas. The news was made public in a regulatory filing, where the company said Anderson's departure 'did not result from any disagreement with the company concerning any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices.' During the company's first-quarter earnings call, Anderson said Aurora's recent launch gave him the confidence to leave the company at this time. 'Aurora has reached a critical inflection point; product strategy is firmly established,' he said. 'The technology is on the road, the team is in place to scale it, and the momentum we've created in the industry is palpable.' A few days later, General Motors announced Anderson as the company's new executive vice president of global product and chief product officer. Anderson joins the team as General Motors works to incorporate autonomous technology into its vehicles. Later that month, Aurora made the call to put 'observers' back in the front seat of its autonomous trucks, per a request made by Paccar Inc., the company that manufactures the trucks. More power moves: North Shore-based aluminum producer Alcoa named Thomas J. Gorman as its non-executive chairman of the board in May. About 105 Leviathan Energy employees will lose their jobs as the company closes its Monroeville and Canonsburg offices following the $1.8 billion acquisition of Olympus Energy. Innovation Works eliminated its portfolio executive role, cutting three team members. Based on founder feedback, Innovation Works says it updated its service model to give portfolio companies direct access to managing directors, a mentor network and a new service desk to route, track and manage requests. California-based defense tech company Anduril is hiring for several software roles in Pittsburgh, despite not currently having a physical presence in the city. The company develops autonomous weapons used by Ukraine. Point Park University appointed Shari Payne as the permanent provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Payne had served as interim provost since January. Kristen Martin, a former professor of IT and technology ethics, will serve as the next dean of Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College starting in July. After the local software firm Smith Micro had a 50% drop in revenue last year, it brought back Tim Huffmyer to resume his former role as CFO and take on the COO position as well.
Technical.ly
02-04-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
ARM Institute plans $3M in grants for robotics and manufacturing
Big financial gains in Pittsburgh over the last few weeks will help build a strong robotics future and the workforce to support it. A local institute is inviting organizations to submit project ideas to improve robotics in manufacturing, with millions in funding available for the best proposals. Plus, a multi-million dollar contract between a local robotics company and the nation's largest independent power operator is set to modernize US power plants. Meanwhile, a $250,000 grant to local workforce development organizations will create a free opportunity for Pittsburgh youth to transition into the tech workforce. Read on for more on these investments, plus other money moves shaping Pittsburgh's future. Apply for grants toward improving robotics in manufacturing The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, an organization dedicated to shaping the trajectory of national manufacturing, has announced plans to award approximately $3 million to multiple projects aimed at enhancing manufacturing automation. The ARM institute is calling for project submissions in four special topic areas, with a deadline of April 9. The four special topic areas focus on improving robotics in manufacturing through: Advancements in multi-model sensing. This project would use various types of sensors to help robots better understand their environment. Instead of solely relying on cameras, robots would gather data using sound, touch or internal measurements, like force or temperature. Making robots more agile and adaptable. Right now, robots are mostly used for repetitive tasks that don't change much. This project would explore ways to quickly reprogram robots, so they would be able to switch between different jobs quickly, much like a human worker can. Enabling effective collaboration between robots and humans. This project would help develop better systems for real-time communication and coordination between robots and people to improve productivity and safety in manufacturing environments. Enhancing robot movement. This project would create systems that allow robots to adapt their movement paths in real time to account for changes in the environment. Organizations must become ARM Institute members to submit a proposal. Projects will support the Department of Defense and US manufacturing at large. The ARM Institute's call for projects aims to promote collaboration and innovation that will push ideas forward that otherwise would suffer from a lack of funding or engineering roadblocks. $250K grant to help local students develop tech skills Workforce development organizations Partner4Work and the Three Rivers Workforce Development Board recently received a $250,000 grant from the commonwealth to launch a tech training program for local, underserved youth. The Cybersecure Pittsburgh program will partner with Urban Pathways Charter School, Phase 4 Learning Center and the Boys and Girls Club to offer high school juniors and seniors free training in IT networking, system administration and cybersecurity. 'We need every young person to thrive in order to meet the workforce demands of our region,' Christopher Watts, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, told 'This program empowers teens to develop skills and explore careers in high-demand and high-paying industries, so they can prepare to earn family-sustaining wages and contribute to the tech ecosystem that is so important to our region's future.' Students will have the opportunity to earn the Cisco Certified Support Technician and Google Cybersecurity certifications upon completion. Students will also be prepared for entry-level roles such as IT support specialist or junior cybersecurity analyst, according to Carl Wesley, chief program and innovation officer for Partner4Work. The grant comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, which awarded nearly $2.4 million to organizations across the commonwealth to expand pre-apprenticeships, classroom training and job shadowing initiatives. 'Pittsburgh's tech sector is booming, but if we want that growth to be sustainable, we have to invest in the people who will drive it forward,' said Rob Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work. 'This program isn't just about training, it's about making sure our young people have a clear path to careers that will shape the future of this industry.' Local robotics startup secures $100M contract with NAES Gecko Robotics, a North Shore-based robotics startup specializing in industrial infrastructure inspections, announced in February a $100 million contract with NAES, America's largest independent power operator. The contract aims to modernize US power plants by utilizing Gecko's various robots, drones and sensors to collect data from power facilities. That data will then be analyzed by the company's AI-powered software, Cantilever, to help predict potential infrastructure problems and maintenance needs of the facilities. By using this predictive technology, power plants hope to prevent unexpected breakdowns and reduce costly emergency repairs. The new effort follows President Donald Trump's declaration of a national energy emergency on January 20. The power demand for data centers that support AI tools is projected to grow 160% by 2030, according to research from Goldman Sachs. 'The demand for energy is going to grow substantially over the next five to ten years,' said Mark Dobler, President and CEO of NAES, in a February press release. 'Every kilowatt counts.' The multi-year agreement between Gecko and NAES could grow beyond $250 million if demand for power plant modernization increases or if the energy crisis in America persists, according to the release. More money moves: Predictive Oncology, a Lawrenceville-based drug developer, received an undisclosed round of financing from biotechnology firm Renovaro Biosciences Inc. ahead of a planned merger between the two companies. Wexford-based biopharmaceutical company Coeptis launched COEP Ventre Group, an investment arm focused on funding tech startups in AI, robotic process automation and AI agents. This follows a $5.7 million raise in its final Series A round in February. Duolingo announced it had 9.5 million paid subscribers in Q4 of 2024, contributing to $209.6 million in revenue for the quarter. It was a 43% increase from the paid users it had the year before. Some of that revenue is going to Duolingo's Early Learners First social impact program, which has pledged to invest $1 million annually in early learning and childcare in the Pittsburgh region. Pittsburgh's tech ecosystem saw 182 VC deals in 2024, a 33% increase from the previous year, securing $999 million in venture capital, mainly for life sciences and AI companies, according to a report from Innovation Works and Ernst and Young LLP. AlphaLabs, the Innovation Works accelerator program, has selected 15 startups for its 2025 cohort. Each company will receive $100,000 in investment. Most of the chosen companies this year focus on healthtech or AI. The Duquesne New Venture Challenge has named five finalists, including 2025 RealLIST Startups honorable mention Clean Plate Innovation and awardee the Reclamation Factory. The finalists will compete for a $40,000 prize later this month. Local railroad tech company Wabtec Corp. announced it will acquire a global train mechanism maker, Dellner Couplers, for $960 million in cash. recently acquired by Texas-based energy-focused SaaS company Enverus for an undisclosed amount.
