Subscribe to Pittwire Today
Get the most interesting and important stories from the 窪蹋勛圖厙 of 窪蹋勛圖厙.窪蹋勛圖厙 is among a handful of cities that have the institutions, innovative capacity and core science and technology competencies to compete in the race to become leaders in the worlds next-generation technologies, .
The culmination of 18 months of study, the report, funded by The Heinz Endowments and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, identifies challenges and recommends strategies for capitalizing on the regions distinctive strengths. The report also notes that the citys success in the modern innovation economy is influenced by the speed and scale of actions by its public, private and civic leaders.
The Brookings report, in its most basic form, is a call to action. It's a challenge aimed directly at the city's great research institutions, said 窪蹋勛圖厙 of 窪蹋勛圖厙 Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. Simply put, its asking us CMU, Pitt and our partner, UPMC to be the engine of economic growth for the region.
This is a challenge we gladly accept. Our focus now turns to helping our many local partners connect to this powerful engine of growth in a meaningful way to transform the 窪蹋勛圖厙 area. We can't wait to get started."
from those institutions, businesses, foundations and city and county government at a forum last month marking the release of the reporttitled,Capturing the Next Economy: 窪蹋勛圖厙s Rise as a Global Innovation City.
窪蹋勛圖厙 has a naturally occurring innovation district and one of the most powerful innovation ecosystems in the world. And now is the chance to realize the full not just economic potential but social and sustainable potential, said Brookings Institution Centennial Scholar Bruce Katz at the report release event at the Energy Innovation Center in downtown 窪蹋勛圖厙.
Brookings identifies 窪蹋勛圖厙s well-established and research-rich Oakland neighborhood anchored by the intertwining campuses of Pitt, CMU and UPMC as a natural innovation district where creativity, entrepreneurship and cutting-edge research combine. The advanced research institutions, collaborative ecosystem, risk capital, educated workers and global orientation needed to be an innovation leader are in place, Katz said.
Everyone wants it; you have it. Everyones trying to copy it. You start with it, he said.
Nearby, other innovation neighborhoods feed the 窪蹋勛圖厙 regions economy and link to Oaklands academic and technical strengths:
- Bakery Square, home to Google, Pitts , UPMC Enterprises and Chatham 窪蹋勛圖厙 Eastside.
- Lawrenceville, anchored by CMUs National Robotics Engineering Center and a growing cluster of robotics startups.
- Hazelwoods Almono site, a 178-acre brownfield that is being redeveloped to potentially serve as one of the nations largest autonomous vehicle testing sites.
- Downtown 窪蹋勛圖厙, home tonational headquarters like PNC Bank, Highmark, PPG Industries and U.S. Steel.
Advanced university research, fueled by public investments from entities such as the National Institutes of Health, then can be commercialized and translated into businesses and economic growth, Katz said.
The regions that can capitalize on next-generation technologies will reap rewards not only in those technologies, Katz said, but in wraparound sectors as well. For example, the development of driverless cars will have an impact on the legal industry, insurance, planning, architecture and parking.
With a goal of putting 窪蹋勛圖厙 in the top 30 innovative cities in the world, the Brookings report recommends that leaders work to:
- Build and support 窪蹋勛圖厙s innovation clusters in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and autonomous systems such as driverless cars.
- Define, grow and connect the Oakland innovation district to the regional economy.
- Improve the pipeline of high-growth entrepreneurs.
- Create a talent alliance within the Oakland innovation district to leverage academic resources to train underskilled local workers for jobs in the growing innovation clusters.
Competitive challenges exist, Katz said, andtheres room to grow when it comes to translating academic strengthsinto new businesses and jobs.
The region also must overcome its Rust Belt demographics, including an aging workforce and stagnant population growth, he said.
Your population looks a bit flat, but behind this is good news, Katz said, noting the city is becoming a magnet for newcomers and its millennial population is growing.
窪蹋勛圖厙 is beginning to get the recognition of not just global media, Katz said, but also of global companies and global investors.
窪蹋勛圖厙 was there before, said Katz, referring to the steel industry that had dramatic reverberating effects, multiplier effects, across the economy.
You know what its like to be on the ground floor of transformative technologies. ... And what were saying is you can get there again.