# From Sports Writing to the Association for Advancing Automation with A3 President Jeff Burnstein

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2021-10-05
- Length: 38m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), explains how the organization merged the Robotic Industries Association, AIA, and Motion Control and Motor Association to simplify resources for users integrating robotics, vision, and motion technologies. He argues that automation creates safer, higher-paying jobs and drives the reshoring of manufacturing to North America by mitigating supply chain risks associated with low-cost labor abroad. Burnstein emphasizes that the industry is still in its early innings, with adoption expanding rapidly into non-automotive sectors like food, pharma, and agriculture, while highlighting the critical need to integrate automation education into school curricula to address workforce shortages.

## Chapters

- [0:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=40) Introduction: Jeff Burnstein and A3's Role
- [7:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=479) Burnstein's Career Path from English Major to Automation
- [11:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=690) Merging RIA, AIA, and MCM into A3
- [17:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=1029) Automation as Job Creator and Reshoring Driver
- [22:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=1370) Expansion into Non-Automotive Industries
- [28:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden#t=1733) A3 Events and the Future of Automation Adoption

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Association for Advancing Automation (company)
- Robotic Industries Association (company)
- AIA (company)
- Motion Control and Motor Association (company)
- Automate.org (other)
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers (company)
- Google (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Miller Resource Group (company)
- First Robotics (other)
- VEX (other)
- Automate (other)
- AMRL Conference (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Hard Truths About Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Eddy Azad](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-04-21-the-hard-truths-about-reshoring-american-manufacturing-w-eddy-azad) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Rise of the Automation Workforce w/ Ale Walker](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Obstacles to Quickly Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Rylan Pyciak](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-13-obstacles-to-quickly-reshoring-american-manufacturing-w-rylan-pyciak) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Jeff Burnstein on robot sales growth; Softbank’s evolving robotics play](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-01-28-jeff-burnstein-on-robot-sales-growth-softbanks-evolving-robotics-play) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [The Power of STEM: Shaping the Next Generation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2025-11-07-the-power-of-stem-shaping-the-next-generation) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Manufacturing Happy Hour.