State unveils program for businesses to use robots to address workforce shortages

Nov 30, 20220

Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune file count

A robot at Graco moves finished cylinders from a CNC machine after testing them and restocks the machine with unfinished stock.

Noting that "you can't create a workforce out of thin air," the leader of Minnesota's jobs agency said Tuesday that automation is one the key ways to address the state's significant workforce shortage.

Steve Grove, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), announced a new $12.5 million loan program to help small to mid-sized companies in Minnesota buy machinery, equipment, and software to increase productivity and automation.

It's the latest in a series of programs DEED has launched in recent weeks as part of a $97 million State Small Business Credit Initiative funded by federal stimulus dollars.

https://www.startribune.com/state-unveils-program-for-businesses-to-use-robots-to-address-workforce-shortages/600231118/