MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Rockwell Automation today announced its investment in The Hive, a
Silicon Valley innovation fund and co-creation studio, to gain access to
an ecosystem of innovators and technology start-ups with a focus on
applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to industrial automation.
Rockwell Automation’s goals include co-creating to solve customer
problems, accelerating innovation, and identifying new emerging
technologies that can help its manufacturing customers improve business
performance by bridging the gaps between plant-floor and higher-level
information systems.
“Smart manufacturing requires the use of new and disruptive technologies
such as AI to create the future industrial plants and supply networks
that are flexible, efficient, responsive, and secure. AI can help
manufacturers unlock data, contextualize it, and take action,” said Elik
Fooks, senior vice president for corporate development at Rockwell
Automation. “We continue to create partnerships with leading innovators,
such as this one with The Hive, to further advance The Connected
Enterprise, our vision for realizing unprecedented industrial
productivity from the integration of plant and enterprise operations.”
“Rockwell Automation’s investment in The Hive will provide it with
earlier visibility to AI technology from companies fostered by The
Hive’s technology team,” said T.M. Ravi, managing director and
co-founder of The Hive. “These include AI-powered applications for the
cognitive enterprise, edge intelligence, security, and smart machines.”
The Hive (www.hivedata.com),
based in Palo Alto, Calif., identifies new AI based opportunities with
great growth potential, and based on these opportunities co-creates,
funds, and launches startups with substantial operational and technology
support.
Rockwell
Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated
to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more
productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee,
Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people, serving
customers in more than 80 countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005576/en/
Source: Rockwell Automation Inc.