Robotics and AI Discovery Day 2025 kicks off today, with what leaders say will be its biggest year yet.
The one-day marathon of panels and breakout sessions during Pittsburgh Tech Week aims to show off the Pittsburgh ecosystem to policymakers, investors and tech leaders from major companies and startups alike.
It’ll be a chance to get up close to the latest tech launches, like one of autonomous vehicle company Aurora’s trucks, with more than 200 exhibitors expected to present for 10,000 attendees.
Miss out on registration, or can’t make it to every forum? Refresh this post for updates and new insights live from Discovery Day 2025.
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On to the next one
Discovery Day 2025 ends, but Pittsburgh Tech Week continues.
4:30 p.m.
The panels at Discovery Day have wrapped and attendees are headed to happy hour. After thousands of visitors and hundreds of tech demos, Pittsburgh’s 2025 Discovery Day is coming to a close.
AI at work
Pittsburgh’s biggest companies — like PPG Industries, Highmark and BNY — have made artificial intelligence a part of everyday work.
3:00 p.m.
Sitting in on my final Discovery Day panel today: How AI is advancing business in downtown Pittsburgh.
All types of companies, not just tech firms, are adopting AI, said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and downtown firms are increasingly a part of that.
For example, PPG Industries, Highmark and BNY.
Earlier this year, Highmark announced a partnership with local AI-powered clinical note-taking startup Abridge. PPG is using AI to develop its paint formulas. BNY recently unveiled an updated version of its AI model Eliza and nearly 100% of its employees use the in-house AI platform.
PPG, Highmark and BNY at Discovery Day 2025 (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
How’s SWPA spending that $62.7M?
The New Economy Collaborative gives a progress update on federal workforce development funding under the current administration.
12:15 p.m.
We’re about to hear an annual review of the New Economy Collaborative (NEC), moderated by Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink.
Over the past three years, this coalition (spanning 11 counties and more than 90 partners) has worked to keep local manufacturers competitive, promote entrepreneurship and provide workforce development opportunities.
Some quick stats on the coalition’s progress:
16 new startups launched through the Robotics Factory
190 technical assessments for local manufacturers
10,000 students trained
206 scholarships deployed
5,000 work-based trainees engaged
12 pathway fellows graduated
80 new technology adoptions at local manufacturers
You may not be familiar with NEC, Wink said, but you may have benefited from programs that receive NEC funding.
Some programs, organizations and events with an NEC link include:
Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Pathways Institute
Robotics Factory Accelerator
World Innovation Summit
Mancini’s Bakery is an example of a traditional business benefitting from the NEC. The bakery has been working with NEC partner Catalyst Connection through an exploratory grant to adopt AI and robotics into its operations to become a “smart bakery.”
“Our goal is to be the most technically advanced bakery in Pittsburgh,” Nick Mancini Hartner said.
The New Economy Collaborative gives a status update at Discovery Day (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
The next gen of deep tech
The Deep Tech Institute discusses its programming.
11:30 a.m.
The Deep Tech Institute (DTI) launched earlier this year. It focuses on workforce development for current and emerging leaders in the deep tech space.
The Deep Learning Institute session at Discovery Day 2025 (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
Robots take over the building
Meet the exhibitors showing off their latest tech.
10:30 a.m.
Good morning, Pittsburgh! I’m currently on the exhibitor floor of Robotics and AI Discovery Day.
There are several zones at the event, featuring different types of companies or organizations:
Robotics
AI and Tech
Advanced Manufacturing
Career Pathways
Community
STEM
There’s a bunch of demos happening here today.
Here’s an example of physical AI at work from local company Atlas Robotics, which builds autonomous pallet movers.
Local startup EKTO VR is demoing its virtual reality boots. The boots, which help users walk in virtual reality spaces without motion sickness, are currently sold for $20,000, but the startup is creating a more consumer-friendly version that will be priced closer to $1,000 to $3,000.
An EKTO sign at Discovery Day 2025 (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
Construction and warehouse work are major themes in the robotics zone. For example, TyBot from Advanced Construction Robotics is primarily used for bridge construction.
TyBot demos its product at Discovery Day (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
And of course, robotic dogs have to make an appearance.
Robot dogs roam the floor at Discovery Day (Alice Crow/Technical.ly)
Autonomous and custom-made vehicles are another major company theme at the event. Here are a few:
SPM builds electric off-roading vehicles.
Aurora is an autonomous trucking company that launched its product on Texas roads earlier this year.
Motional develops driverless vehicles.
Neya creates software for autonomous off-road vehicles.
Welcome to Discovery Day 2025
Attendees start arriving at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
9 a.m.
Doors have opened for Robotics and AI Discovery Day 2025 and opening remarks are set to start soon. Read these stories to get caught up on what happened last year and what to expect this year.