Formic joins NAIA to scale workforce training and automation in U.S. manufacturing
Formic, a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) automation provider, has joined the New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA) to support workforce training and automation adoption in U.S. manufacturing.
The company will work alongside Dirac, Palantir, and Atomic Industries to increase technical training opportunities and make automation more accessible to manufacturers.
Workforce development through automation
NAIA is a trade association focused on strengthening U.S. manufacturing, securing supply chains, and expanding workforce skills. Formic has already trained over 1,000 workers in factories across the U.S., transitioning them from manual tasks like packing and stacking to operating automation systems. The company’s approach allows manufacturers to fill labor shortages, particularly in second and third shifts, while improving safety and efficiency.
Saman Farid, Founder and CEO of Formic, highlighted the need for both technology adoption and workforce training:
"The key to modernizing U.S. manufacturing isn’t only in breakthrough technology — that’s only the first step — it’s driving widespread accessibility and adoption of robotics and continued investment in building a skilled workforce to operate it. NAIA’s commitment to create more manufacturing jobs and push the U.S. to make up a greater share of global manufacturing production aligns perfectly with Formic’s goals."
Expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity
Formic's work aligns with NAIA’s goal of increasing U.S. manufacturing output from 15% to 30% by 2035. The company’s automation model allows manufacturers to deploy robotic systems quickly, helping to address labor gaps while maintaining a 99.8% uptime rate and reducing safety incidents.
Filip Aronshtein, Founder and CEO of Dirac, noted the importance of industry-wide collaboration in growing the domestic workforce:
“We joined NAIA to work alongside companies like Formic who have priorities that extend beyond pure business profitability and goals but speak to a greater need to grow the current U.S. manufacturing sector. Stabilizing and scaling our national capabilities around energy, manufacturing, and supply chain will ensure our ability to respond quickly to the country’s needs now or in the future.”
Automation and training for long-term industry growth
Formic reports 300% growth in 2024, with its robotic systems completing over 250,000 production hours. The company continues to focus on training workers for automation roles and expanding access to industrial robotics.
Austin Bishop, CEO of NAIA, emphasized Formic’s role in developing the future workforce:
"Formic has changed the way more than 100 factories operate in the U.S. and has been a trailblazing example of how technology investments and automation will reindustrialize U.S. manufacturing. We’re thrilled that they’ve joined forces with NAIA and know they will play a central role in achieving our goals moving forward."
