Report: How Pittsburgh Can Boost Its 'Innovation Economy'

A team of researchers at Brookings suggests ways for Pittsburgh to lock in its status as a hub of the next economy, leaving all talk of the "Rust Belt" behind.

1 minute read

September 17, 2017, 9:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc

Nick Amoscato / Flickr

In a report, a team of four researchers argue that "Today, the competitive advantage of the Pittsburgh region is no longer its rivers and raw materials but its high-skilled workers, world-class research institutions, and technology-intense advanced manufacturing."

Assembled via a collaboration between the Brookings Institution and Project for Public Spaces, the report discusses Pittsburgh's potential for an "innovation-based" economy. To get there, "greater investment and activity is needed in four broad areas: innovation clusters, the Oakland innovation district, high-growth entrepreneurs, and workforce development."

The report recommends close collaboration between the private sector and the city's universities, as well as the city itself. "Pittsburgh's broader economy will flourish when the lines between academic research and industry innovation are indistinguishable. [...] Well-resourced and coordinated education and workforce programs identify and attack unemployment in high poverty neighborhoods."

FULL STORY: Capturing the next economy: Pittsburgh’s rise as a global innovation city

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 in Brookings

Community / Economic Development Urban Development Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Brookings Institution Innovation Economic Development Entrepreneurship Tech Next Economy Public-Private Partnerships Oakland Innovation District View More

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