Jeff Burnstein is the President of A3, the Association for Advancing Automation. For more than 35 years, he’s been advocating for the use of robotics, machine vision, and motion control across the industrial world. Now more than ever, it seems that many manufacturing leaders are hearing his mission loud and clear.

In this episode, Jeff shares some background on how he initially became interested in automation, despite wanting to be a sports writer. He also explains how A3 helps to broaden the conversation and provide support to industries adjusting to automation. Jeff discusses how robots and automation aren’t the threat to the job market that people believe and why they’ll improve the quality and safety of jobs instead.

He rounds off the interview by talking about A3’s events and why automation is still in the early innings for many industries.

In this episode, find out:

• How someone with a major in English literature built a career in automation
• Why the Association for Advancing Automation is helping to broaden the discussion around automation
• Why automation is a good thing for the job market
• How manufacturing has grown in the US
• Why we need to do more to educate and encourage the next generation of manufacturers
• The big trends in manufacturing and automation
• Why Automate.org hosts events in automation, robotics, and AI
• Why automation is still in the early innings

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “You don't change the education system overnight. But in an increasingly automated world, we have to have talent.”
• “There are a lot of reasons why manufacturing in the US with automation, or in Canada or Mexico, is a better plan than trying to chase low-cost labor around the world.”
• “People, when they think about robotics and automation, think because the first robot was installed in 1961, that this must all be a mature industry. No, not at all.”

Links & mentions:

• Automate.org, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), North America’s largest automation trade association.
• Autonomous Mobile Robots & Logistics Conference, A3’s conference held in October in Tennessee
• Zig Zag Cafe, a hip craft cocktail bar in Seattle, WA with gourmet snacks, tucked away by a staircase near Pike Place Market

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.