Robotics and AI Discovery Day brings possibility of new partnerships between Pittsburgh and Israel
'Unlike other events, where people are coming to aggressively sell, this is a celebration of the robotics and AI of Pittsburgh'
Robotics is shortening the pathway between Pittsburgh and Israel. With industry executives and advocates for increased ties between the regions meeting at Pittsburgh Robotics & AI Discovery Day on Nov. 5, the possibility of new partnerships was abuzz.
Hours into the daylong gathering at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Snir Benedek said he’d already spoken with several individuals about Benedex LTD, a company that provides “engineering solutions for robotics, high-performance motion and complex material handling.”
The Israeli, who now calls the United Kingdom home, said traveling to Pittsburgh for Discovery Day was a worthwhile endeavor.
Pittsburgh is globally recognized as a “robotics hub,” Benedek said. Creating “traction” here likely ensures the possibility of working with several entities.
With its more than 125 robotics companies, Pittsburgh is a “global anomaly,” according to Pittsburgh Robotics Network Executive Director Jennifer Apicella.
The annual PRN-led Discovery Day delivers insight on the region and the nearly 7,300 people who work in robotics-related fields by welcoming an estimated 10,000 people for a one-day program with panel discussions and 200 exhibitors.
Graham Celine, vice president of business development at Intelitek, a New Hampshire-based company with headquarters in Israel, said he traveled to Pittsburgh specifically for Discovery Day.
Midway through the event, Celine called the day productive: “We made some good connections.”
For years, Intelitek has helped educational institutions create career-ready students through technological learning environments.
As a lead-up to the gathering and throughout the program, Celine explained Intelitek’s role and potential benefit to the region.
Facilitating connections was Gal Inbar, executive director of 412×972, who introduced Celine and fellow Israelis to Pittsburghers.
“Unlike other events, where people are coming to aggressively sell, this is a celebration of the robotics and AI of Pittsburgh,” Inbar told the Chronicle.
Discovery Day allows Pittsburgh to lean into the bridge motif, he continued. Representatives of companies, and even students, are just walking around, meeting up and finding ways to collaborate.
When asked about new developments, Inbar pointed to changing mindsets.
There’s a shift from being location-focused to network-focused, he said. Companies care about who they work with, and “between the two geographies [Pittsburgh and Israel] there are so many good people.”
David Kalson, a 412×972 board member, said he was among the group who worked with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to create 412×972 nearly eight years ago.
There was recognition that connecting entrepreneurs and engineers between the regions on an “episodic basis just wasn’t getting it done.”
Visiting this year’s Discovery Day and observing the possibility of new connections, Kalson said, was akin to “seeing the fruits of our labor.”
Mayor-elect Corey O’Connor said he, too, liked what he saw at Discovery Day.
Along with numerous companies seeking Pittsburgh connections, “I like the fact that there are so many students that come to this,” O’Connor said. “When you want to talk about how you want to grow the region and grow cities, it’s going to start with younger people.”
One day after winning the Pittsburgh mayoral contest, O’Connor said Discovery Day underscores Pittsburgh’s strengths.
“We have so much to offer,” he said. Startups, established operations and students need to be told to “come to Pittsburgh.”
The responsibility of disseminating that message shouldn’t solely fall on select organizations, O’Connor continued. “It’s our job to make the calls.” Whether it’s Pittsburgh-based companies looking to grow, or companies elsewhere seeking a new home, “the mayor’s job is to make cold calls, too, and say, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about Pittsburgh?’ Maybe they say yes, maybe they say no, but you have to be in a conversation.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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