The funding “will enable us to knit [assets] together into a cohesive system and add some resources for activities that have been underfunded historically,” including building a more diverse talent pool of workers, said Donald Smith, RIDC President. Smith was part of the steering committee that applied for the federal grant. The development corporation, along with the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce produced a 53-page report titled Forefront last September that argued the potential of the Pittsburgh region in the global automation technology market.