The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute has opened an office in St Petersburg, Florida, in the United States. The ARM Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the Department of Defense. It has the mission of catalyzing robotic technologies and workforce skilling solutions to strengthen and grow U.S. manufacturing. The institute works with a national consortium of over 360 member organizations.

The new office is located in the Tampa Bay Innovation Center in St. Petersburg, FL. The ARM Institute headquarters has been in Pittsburgh, PA since its formation in 2017.

Florida was the logical choice for the ARM Institute’s second location”, stated Suzy Teele, ARM Institute Chief Strategy Officer. “There are over 13,000 manufacturing organizations in critical industry sectors such as aerospace, electronics, defense, apparel, and food production that can greatly benefit from advanced automation. Florida is also widely recognized as a fast-growing state for technology and innovation. These facts, along with our active Florida-based projects with member organizations such as Johnson and Johnson, Lockheed Martin, and AmSkills, among others, convinced us that we could further our regional support and execute our mission on a significant level by opening an office in this region.”

Added Arnie Kravitz, ARM Institute Chief Innovation Officer, “Over the past several years, our Institute has brought about $13M in both technology and workforce projects to the region. It receives funding from the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, and the Department of Labor. Twenty percent of the ARM Institute’s consortium membership is in the region, and we expect that number to grow.”

Leverage Investments in Robotics

A key focus for the ARM Institute’s Florida office will be to leverage the investments made over the past five years in robotics, workforce development, and artificial intelligence.

“We have the technology and wisdom needed to strengthen manufacturing by leveraging what robots and humans do best,” stated Teele. “Our goal is to expand the work we are currently doing with regional manufacturers, universities, entrepreneurs, and economic development organizations, as well as new partners, to pioneer a better and more equally just advanced manufacturing model for the nation.”