Standard Bots CEO Evan Beard spoke to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on November 18, 2025 for a hearing titled: "Frontier Technologies, Industrial Efficiency, and Pro-Innovation Policies". The following is his spoken testimony. Read the full written testimony here.
Chairman Schweikert, Ranking Member Hassan, and Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to speak with you today.
My name is Evan Beard, and I’m the CEO and cofounder of Standard Bots, an American robotics company building AI-powered industrial robots here in the United States. We founded this company after seeing a stark reality: American factories had essentially no American-made industrial robots. Foreign systems dominated the market, and manufacturers told us those robots were too expensive, too complex, and still unable to automate enough tasks for manufacturers to remain competitive.
In Washington, there is agreement on something fundamental: rebuilding America’s manufacturing strength is essential for economic resilience, national security, and long-term competitiveness. And advanced robotics is a foundational technology - the fastest, most scalable way to rebuild competitively and bring back jobs.
If you want an industrial robot arm that’s actually designed and assembled here in the U.S., we’re the only viable option. Our robotic arms operate in factories – from small businesses to Fortune 500s like Lockheed Martin, Verizon, and even NASA – automating tasks no one else has been able to automate. Customers tell us, bluntly, that without our robots they would shut down lines, close facilities, or lay off workers. When our customers succeed, America succeeds.
Our team has worked nights, weekends, and holidays to put U.S. robotics back on the map. But our journey also reveals how far American manufacturing has eroded. When we first sourced parts for our robot and still today, U.S. quotes are ten times higher than Chinese suppliers.
That experience points to the core issue: the United States is not cost-competitive in manufacturing today. But we can be – with the right plan. Our competitors already have national strategies. America does not have a specific, actionable, and funded plan to lead in advanced manufacturing and robotics. Based on surveys of hundreds of American manufacturers, my written testimony outlines a practical four-part plan to change that.
Recommendation 1. Create a nationwide network of Manufacturing Excellence Centers.
Modeled off the MEP program, we believe congress should fully fund a nationwide network of state-of-the-art Manufacturing Excellence Centers – imagine a place with all the latest manufacturing equipment where you can go to learn to start a manufacturing business, scale production, or train your people – so our manufacturers are ready to build and compete on a global stage.
Recommendation 2. Establish a national manufacturing loan program.
Our suggestion is to create a federal lending program, modeled on successful DOE programs, that provides low-cost, long-term loans and loan guarantees to help American manufacturers start up, expand, buy advanced equipment, and hire workers.
Recommendation 3: Solve the Talent Shortage Limiting American Industry
The U.S. faces a critical shortage of workers trained in robotics, automation, and modern manufacturing, and this threatens efforts to reshore industry. Manufacturing Excellence Centers that partner with trade schools and community colleges can better align training with real-world needs so we rebuild the talent pipeline in this country for high-wage industrial careers.
Recommendation 4: Address economic inequalities between the US and other countries in robotics
If other countries are subsidizing their robots, like China, how do we expect American robotics companies to compete? To ensure a fair playing field for the domestic robotics industry, the U.S. should restrict or tariff Chinese robots. Otherwise our robot industry could go the same way as solar.
America has the talent, ingenuity, and drive to lead the world in making things – but every month we wait, our manufacturing base slips further behind.
Our submitted testimony explores these policy recommendations in more detail. I urge Congress to act with urgency and unity: make the United States the best place on Earth to build again, and ensure we lead the next generation of manufacturing and robotics.
Thank you.
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