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Uber Hires Away Carnegie Mellon Scientists, Threatens University Research Funding

Uber has hired away 40 researchers and scientists from Carnegie Mellon's robotics center since February, when Uber and the center announced plans to collaborate on developing technologies for autonomous vehicles.

(TNS) -- The exodus of top robotics scientists from Carnegie Mellon University to Uber Technologies' Lawrenceville, Pa., research center could result in the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding, but school officials insist they aren't worried.

“The National Robotics Engineering Center remains one of the premier robotics facilities in the nation, with a bright future,” Carnegie Mellon said in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

“The attention it receives is a testament to the distinctive value it brings to the field,” the university said.

Carnegie Mellon officials declined Tribune-Review interview requests about the wave of departures from its National Robotics Engineering Center.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that ride-share company Uber has hired away 40 researchers and scientists from the robotics center since February, when Uber and the center announced plans to collaborate on developing technologies for autonomous vehicles. The departures put the school in a bind to replace researchers and scientists, along with the potential loss of millions in federal research dollars, the newspaper said.

The university said it is working toward finalizing the partnership agreement.

“We look forward to a strong continued relationship with Uber and other industry partners,” the university's statement said.

In a separate statement, Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden said, “CMU is one of the top institutions in the world in the areas of computer science and robotics, so Pittsburgh and CMU are naturally where we turned when we were looking for a home for the Uber Advanced Technologies Center ... We believe Uber's presence provides an excellent local option for graduating students, and the collaborative work between Uber and CMU is a draw for talent to the area.”

©2015 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.