Shapiro Administration Visits Allegheny County-Based Robotics Company to Highlight How the Governor’s Economic Development Strategy and Proposed Budget Investments Will Boost Pennsylvania’s Growing Innovation Economy

Governor Josh Shapiro is dedicated to making Pennsylvania a national leader in innovation and economic development.

The Governor’s budget would invest $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets.

Wexford, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger visited Western PA-based robotics company Neya Systems to highlight Pennsylvania’s growing robotics and technology innovation economy and Governor Josh Shapiro’s commitment to investing in economic development across the Commonwealth. While visiting the company, Secretary Siger highlighted how Commonwealth companies like Neya Systems are spurring innovation that the Governor’s Economic Development strategy and proposed 2024-25 budget will continue to bolster.

“Neya is doing some truly groundbreaking work with autonomous vehicles, and it’s exciting to be here today and see some of these advancements in person,” said Secretary Siger. “We want to continue to support innovative companies like Neya Systems. Governor Shapiro’s budget includes $20 million in new innovation funding to invest in more companies like Neya and give them the seed money to get off the ground and bring their inventions to market. We can help fuel the next major discovery in robotics and technology right here in Western Pennsylvania – we just need to support and invest in these kinds of companies.”

Neya Systems works with commercial, defense, and homeland security customers to deliver solutions to issues related to autonomy, computer vision, and general unmanned systems development and deployment. Clients include the United States Army and Navy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and others. The company is a division of Applied Research Associates, an international research and engineering company globally recognized for applying technically excellent, in-depth, and diversified research, engineering, and technical support services.

“We are honored to welcome Secretary Siger to Neya, highlighting the remarkable progress we’re making in robotics and autonomy right here in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Parag Batavia, Founder and Strategic Advisor, Neya Systems. “The Shapiro Administration’s economic development strategy is instrumental in fostering innovation in our state. We are proud to be a part of the progress that is driving Pennsylvania forward and are grateful for the support of our parent company, Applied Research Associates, who recognizes the unique advantages of investing in Pittsburgh’s robotics ecosystem. We appreciate the administration being here today and look forward to continuing to work together to shape Pennsylvania’s status as a technology leader.”

Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has announced over $1.2 billion in new private sector investment in Pennsylvania as a direct result of his Administration’s work – positioning the Commonwealth to be a leader in innovation and economic development. Pittsburgh’s robotics and technology innovation sector is a prime example of the type of innovation the Shapiro Administration is focused on supporting. Since taking office, Governor Shapiro and members of his Administration have visited Pittsburgh a number of times to emphasize the region’s critical importance in robotics and technology leadership – including a visit in January to Mill 19 to highlight the important role of robotics and advanced manufacturing and the Administration’s ongoing support for Astrobotic Technology.

The Governor’s Economic Development Strategy is a targeted plan designed to help Pennsylvania win and become a national leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation. One of the five target sectors outlined in the strategy that will help Pennsylvania build on our competitive advantages and create opportunity is robotics and technology.

The Governor’s proposed 2024-25 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to the Economic Development Strategy to continue growing our economy, create jobs, foster innovation and economic opportunity, and build vibrant communities, including: $500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania; $25 million for the Main Street Matters program to support small businesses and commercial corridors across the Commonwealth; $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets; and $3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge to incentivize regional growth.

In addition to the strength of robotics in the Pittsburgh region, robotics and technology companies can be found across Pennsylvania – and with a projected 17,000 net new jobs created across the robotics and technology sectors over the next decade, Pennsylvania is primed to become a leader in these high-growth industries.

The Shapiro Administration will continue to spur job creation, invest in technology and robotics innovation, and provide funding to make the Commonwealth more competitive on a global scale. For more information, visit the Shapiro Budget website.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov, 717.783.1116
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov

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