Dive Brief:
- A public-private partnership to accelerate innovation, dubbed InnovatePGH, has launched in Pittsburgh.
- InnovatePGH was formed to accelerate Pittsburgh's growth as a global destination for technology-based economic activity. It will push for development in three main areas: advanced manufacturing, automation and life sciences.
- The partnership also aims to support the Pittsburgh Innovation District, which will launch in April.
Dive Insight:
Pittsburgh's history as a manufacturing city left it in a bit of a downturn as U.S. manufacturing jobs began disappearing over the past couple of decades. But in recent years, the city has been pushing full steam ahead with its revitalization and becoming a smart city. Leaders are working to move beyond just a focus on steel and other manufacturing, without entirely stripping the community of that culture.
Current city initiatives put an emphasis on innovation, resilience and environment, but Mayor Bill Peduto is adamant about putting people first and not pushing innovation at the expense of Pittsburgh's citizens. He's trying to avoid some of the gentrification that's happening in other U.S. cities that are making comebacks.
InnovatePGH is an effort to continue the city's progress in an equitable way. The partnership will continue the focus on bringing more tech jobs to the city and making it an attractive destination for global tech businesses.
"InnovatePGH is the city’s platform to build the knowledge infrastructure needed to translate our technological strengths into an inclusive and equitable growth strategy for the entire city," Peduto said in a statement. Pittsburgh recently made the list of 20 finalists for Amazon's HQ2, and InnovatePGH notes that it is closely coordinating with the city's HQ2 bid as part of its work to attract innovative businesses.
