Hardware Podcasts

292: What Manufacturers Can Learn from Silicon Valley: Mechatronics, Startups, and More (LIVE from San Jose, CA)

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 16 Jun 2026 · 56m

What this episode covers

Vinod Anandarajah of Kanavu Automation, Kevin Toomer and Adam Soder of Sumitomo Drive Technologies, and founders Kim Losey (NextLine Group), Glenn Reed (Beluga Navigation Systems), Nick Haas (MaintainX), and Florian Pistoni (In Orbit) discuss the intersection of mechatronics, automation, and Silicon Valley innovation. The episode covers strategies for building skilled workforces through in-house apprenticeships, the cultural differences between Bay Area risk-taking and traditional manufacturing predictability, and the importance of applying B2C user experience principles to industrial software. The founders also share insights on maintaining a pulse on global manufacturing trends and the role of the Bay Area in driving physical AI and robotics.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up and early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Kanavu Automation, Sumitomo Drive Technologies, MaintainX, In Orbit, PTC, Rockwell Automation, Apple, Ford

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