How Robotics Empowers Individuals and Enhances National Security with Jay Douglass, COO of the Arm Institute

Jay Douglass has been around robotics and technology for a long time. After a long history with Carnegie Mellon, he’s now the COO of the ARM Institute. This organization is creating a nationwide group of elite manufacturing, academic, technology, and government organizations that share the common mission of a robust U.S. manufacturing ecosystem, impacting everything from the US economy in general, all the way to national defense.

In this episode, Jay gives us a peek behind the scenes of what happens at the ARM Institute and how he got started there. He delves into the main problems the Institute exists to address as well as the progress they’ve made since their establishment.

Jay goes on to explain why it’s economically and politically important for America to build a strong manufacturing base. While he’s at it, he shares some interesting manufacturing insights from a historical standpoint.

In this episode, find out:

• What the ARM institute does
• How small enterprises can take advantage of robotics
• How Jay transitioned from business development to being the COO of the ARM institute
• The kind of projects funded by the ARM institute
• How the ARM institute empowers the manufacturing workforce
• Why scalability and skillset gaps are major issues plaguing the American manufacturing industry
• How a strong manufacturing base could benefit national security
• How to connect with the ARM institute

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “America needs a real manufacturing base — we can’t have an economy that’s largely based on food production and popular culture.”
• “We’re not prototyping products as much as we are prototyping their manufacturing process.”
• “What we do is to help the smaller manufacturers get better and more competitive so they can deal with the challenges of the evolving economy.”

Links & mentions:

• ARM Institute, a national membership-based consortium that accelerates the development and adoption of innovative robotics technologies that are the foundation of every advanced manufacturing activity today and in the future
• RoboticsCareer.org, the ARM Institute’s site containing links to thousands of robotics training programs

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list

of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.