Southwestern Pennsylvania receives $62.7M grant to build robotics, autonomy cluster

The Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative announced Friday it had received a $62.7 million grant to create a robotics and autonomy cluster.

Funded through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge grants through the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the grant will fund five regional projects that will provide long-term opportunities for the area to become involved in the robotics and autonomy industries. An analysis of the projects found that the overall economic impact of the sectors includes more than 14,500 workers, over 750 companies, and approximately $575 million in regional Gross Domestic Product.

“The Build Back Better grant will bring renewed vitality to our 11-county region and enhance opportunities for a wide band of people, businesses, and places in ways we have not seen before,” said Pashman. “These projects are designed to open doors to anyone who wants to participate in the region’s thriving robotics cluster. This includes expanded opportunities for women and people of color, as well as provide geographic equity throughout the region. The grant also puts a plan in motion for the adoption of robotics and AI technologies across a vast portfolio of existing businesses – of every size and in all corners of the region – and seeks to leverage our base of manufacturers to build robust local supply chains.”

The southwestern Pennsylvania region is one of only 21 applicants to receive the Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant funding that will advance industry cluster development projects. More than 520 regions applied for the grant funding, the pool of which was condensed to 60 finalists before settling on the final grant winners.

Grant funding includes a $4.8 million grant to focus on boosting regional competitiveness by bringing Pennsylvania’s innovations in robotics and automation to Small and Medium Enterprises in areas like agriculture, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing; a $14.2 million grant to de-risk the adoption of advanced robotics and automation technology; and a $24.8 million grant to establish a regional upskilling system to serve robotics technology developers and robotics technology adopters.