# FANUC opens $18 million US robotics academy in Michigan shift *The 132,000-square-foot Auburn Hills facility aims to train 17,500 workers annually, embedding Japanese automation systems across North American reshoring supply chains.* **Published:** October 24, 2026 **By:** Aiko Tanaka **Section:** Robotics & Automation — Japan **Format:** Company Watch **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/fanuc-opens-18-million-us-robotics-academy-michigan-shift-900 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - FANUC opened its $18 million, 132,000-square-foot training academy in Auburn Hills on Oct. 19 - Facility expands network capacity to 17,500 participants annually across 28 classrooms - Michigan customer support center expansion is scheduled for completion in 2027 ![Trainees in gray uniforms examine and operate yellow FANUC robotic arms along an automated line inside a training facility. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-24-52692359c512.webp) *Trainees in gray uniforms examine and operate yellow FANUC robotic arms along an automated line inside a training facility. (AI-generated image)* FANUC America opened its expanded $18 million robotics training academy in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on Oct. 19, 2026, moving to resolve workforce shortages across automated manufacturing plants. The Japanese robotics supplier built the three-story facility on its West Campus to instruct factory technicians, field engineers and trade apprentices. The property covers 132,000 square feet. Dedicated training space accounts for 56,300 square feet within the structure. The expansion elevates FANUC America's continental instructional capacity to roughly 17,500 participants each year. The facility replaces an older workforce education center located inside company headquarters in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Classroom counts more than doubled, increasing from 13 suites to 28. Instructional laboratories house more than 160 operational industrial robots. Technicians also train on more than 40 computer numerical control simulators, known as CNC systems, which guide automated metal cutting tools. The $18 million academy investment complements a $90 million manufacturing facility expansion that FANUC announced in March 2026. The two projects represent a combined $108 million capital commitment in Michigan. North American manufacturing investments have surged following federal incentives for domestic supply chains. Yet industrial companies identify the shortage of qualified automation programmers as their primary operational constraint. Factory operators routinely take delivery of robotic machinery but face costly startup delays. The installation backlog stems directly from a regional deficit in trained system integrators and maintenance personnel. The availability of skilled workers remains one of industry's greatest challenges, Mike Cicco, president and chief executive officer of FANUC America, said during the opening. The academy aims to close that operational deficit through structured machine instruction, Cicco said. The facility prepares manufacturing staff for technology-driven shop floors, he added. Hands-on training gives robotics manufacturers a lasting commercial advantage. Factory engineers who learn proprietary code and controller interfaces during certification programs typically favor the same supplier on future production lines. That dynamic raises vendor switching costs for automotive assemblers and component stampers. A workforce trained on FANUC teach pendants reduces integration friction, steering corporate procurement toward Japanese robotics standards. Technicians undergo instruction on proprietary teach pendants, the handheld hardware terminals used to jog robot joints and program motion vectors. Mastery of these physical interfaces binds line technicians to FANUC operating environments. Software courses train participants on ROBOGUIDE, the simulation package used to model robotic workcells without halting live production lines. Engineers use the tool to verify cycle times and collision clearances before installing tooling. Automotive parts makers and battery packaging plants throughout the American Midwest form the primary customer segment for the facility. Tier-one suppliers face mounting pressure to automate assembly steps as labor costs rise and production tolerances tighten. Workforce initiatives at the academy connect with the broader Certified Education Training framework, designated as CERT. The company uses CERT to supply curriculum and standardized hardware to vocational schools and community colleges. The program coordinates with high schools, technical colleges and universities across North America. Educational initiatives also include partnerships with SkillsUSA, a national career training organization that sponsors student automation contests. Federal officials backed the private workforce hub during its public unveiling. Keith Sonderling, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, toured the Auburn Hills site to examine industrial apprenticeship models. Private sector training investments help rebuild American manufacturing capacity and support domestic labor pipelines, Sonderling said during the tour. The newly opened academy expands FANUC America's physical operating footprint in Michigan to more than 2 million square feet. The company has created more than 400 local jobs since 2019. The academy structure repurposes a former law school building on the West Campus parcel. FANUC purchased the 67-acre property as part of an earlier $110 million campus development unveiled in July 2024. The surrounding West Campus complex provides advanced engineering, product customization and warehouse staging. The logistics depot stores more than 6,000 quick-delivery robots alongside thousands of replacement mechanical assemblies. Auburn Hills serves as the administrative core for eight regional FANUC training centers across North America. Those secondary hubs operate in manufacturing clusters across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Curriculum modules at the Auburn Hills facility cover robotic spot welding, palletizing, machine tending and laser processing. Students also learn five-axis digital twin programming to test toolpaths virtually before operating live machinery. Customer technical support operations on the Auburn Hills campus will expand further, with a dedicated call center scheduled for completion in 2027. FANUC will also hold regional automation workshops through December 2026. Company disclosures do not state the ongoing annual operating expenses required to staff the academy, and public records show no separate filings dated Oct. 24. Course enrollment opened immediately across all 28 classrooms, with scheduled training sessions running daily at the Auburn Hills campus. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | FANUC US training expansion | domestic integrators see FANUC software standard tighten in North American battery lines | rival robotic exporters face higher switching costs among certified U.S. technicians | FANUC anchors Japanese robot interfaces in reshoring supply chains, backing $108 million Michigan capex | North American factory automation gains 17,500 trained technicians annually to ease deployment bottlenecks | | FANUC US training expansion | domestic integrators see FANUC software standard tighten in North American battery lines | rival robotic exporters face higher switching costs among certified U.S. technicians | FANUC anchors Japanese robot interfaces in reshoring supply chains, backing | | | FANUC US training expansion | domestic integrators see FANUC software standard tighten in North American battery lines | rival robotic exporters face higher switching costs among certified U.S. technicians | FANUC anchors Japanese robot interfaces in reshoring supply chains, backing $108 million Michigan capex | North American factory automation gains 17,500 trained technicians annually to ease deployment bottlenecks | ## In this story - **Companies:** FANUC - **Tickers:** 6954.T - **Impact:** Capex, Supply Chain ## Primary sources 1. irobotnews.com 2. thomasnet.com 3. fanucamerica.com 4. engineering.com --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "FANUC opens $18 million US robotics academy in Michigan shift," October 24, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/fanuc-opens-18-million-us-robotics-academy-michigan-shift-900