by making advanced technologies more accessible and by cultivating the skilled workforce required to power them. Since opening its doors in 2017, the nonprofit consortium has grown to include more than 460 member organizations—ranging from large manufacturers and defense contractors to universities, start-ups, and workforce partners. Together, they are tackling some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, including labor shortages, outdated processes, and the need for modernization across diverse sectors. To date, ARM has completed nearly 150 funded projects, demonstrating its capacity to accelerate practical solutions and deliver real-world impact. FROM PANDEMIC RESPONSE TO PRODUCTION INNOVATION While the ARM Institute focuses on long-term advancements, some of its most visible contributions have come during times of crisis.At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the U.S. faced a shortage of personal protective equipment, ARM members quickly mobilized to develop robotic systems capable of assembling masks at scale. “That project captured what we’re about,” explains Susie, an ARM Institute representative. “We bring members together to solve problems that manufacturers can’t always tackle on their own. Our role is to move solutions to a prototype stage so industry can adapt and adopt them efficiently.” Similar collaborative projects have addressed automation in industries where adoption has historically lagged, such as casting and forging, apparel, and even the repair of military equipment. These initiatives demonstrate how robotics and AI are transforming not just high-tech sectors, but also traditional industries critical to U.S. competitiveness. WORKFORCE: SOLVING THE SKILLS GAP For all the promise of automation, one of the largest challenges in American manufacturing is not technological but human. The sector continues to face a severe shortage of skilled workers, exacerbated by the so-called “silver tsunami” as aging employees retire. To address this, the ARM Institute launched RoboticsCareer.org, a first-of-its-kind national resource for training and career development in advanced manufacturing. The platform now hosts more than 17,000 training programs across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, ranging from community colleges to university degrees, and lists 1,500–2,000 new jobs daily. A built-in skills-matching tool helps job seekers identify pathways into high-demand fields 117 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ADVANCED ROBOTICS FOR MANUFACTURING
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