Hartford Business Journal

12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 9, 2021 By Matthew Broderick Special to the Hartford Business Journal W ith more than 4,000 companies in Connecticut forming the supply chain for aerospace and industrial giants like Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and General Dynamics Electric Boat, manufacturing plays a critical role in the state's economy and future. In 2019, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, the sector accounted for $29.6 billion in economic output in the state, while employing nearly 10% of Connecticut's workforce. As manufacturers across the state look to increase production and competitiveness through automation and cognitive computer and artificial intelligence — a sector evolution known as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 — the state's flagship university, UConn, is trying to help create a pipeline of talent with a new robotics major starting in the fall of 2022. John Chandy, dean of UConn's School of Engineering, which will oversee the robotics coursework, says the program will incorporate the disciplines of electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. UConn is one of only two U.S. research-active universities to offer a robotics major. While the school has a history of robotics research among engineering faculty, which has transferred to companies or fueled startups, Chandy says one of the goals is to get new robotics majors thinking about business opportunities. "Even at the freshman level, we need to change the mindset," Chandy said. "Many [engineering] students come in thinking about [getting] a stable job at a big company [after graduation], but we want them to think about entrepreneurship as an option." And the robotics job market is heating up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9% job- market growth for robotics engineers between 2016 through 2026 with an average salary of $81,000. The global robotics market is projected to grow 26% annually to just shy of $210 billion by 2025, according to Statista, a market research firm. Pandemic boosts automation Those numbers don't surprise Ron Angelo. As president and CEO of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), Angelo's organization works with nearly three dozen global industrial companies and thousands of supply chain manufacturers across the state. "We listen and get feedback from [employers] about what's most important [to them] and that is advanced design automation, robotics for inspection and quality control, and additive manufacturing," Angelo said, noting CCAT recently modernized its three East Hartford- based training facilities to align with manufacturers' growing technology needs. And COVID has only quickened the drive for automation. National data from Westmonroe, a digital technology company, found that manufacturers digitized many activities 20 to 25 times faster last year because of the pandemic, Industry 4.0 New UConn robotics program aims to help build manufacturing workforce of the future, spur new startups A baxter robot, used by UConn faculty and students, picks up a screwdriver. Ashwin Dani, UConn's associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, with Ph.D. students demonstrating how a robot can be given a simple and repeatable task. PHOTO | SEAN FLYNN/UCONN PHOTO | SEAN FLYNN/UCONN

• Cover