New Study Finds Breakout Opportunity For Pittsburgh to Become Major Player Globally in Autonomy Sector
Summary
Though Pittsburgh is already a national hub, the study found that its gains are at risk due to competition from other regions, a challenging regulatory environment for testing and deployment, and insufficient coordinated support for the sector. Our region has such an opportunity now with autonomy, a global growth market and a sector where we’re well-positioned to compete,” said Matt Smith, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an Allegheny Conference on Community Development affiliate. Pittsburgh can become the global hub for autonomous technologies with opportunities up and down the sector’s supply chain and future-focused jobs for workers of all levels from technicians and skilled trades to PhDs.” “Pittsburgh long has relied on a proven formula to generate prosperity: We see opportunities for national and global economic leadership, and we seize them,” said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which provided funding for this project. “At the Foundation, we years ago identified the autonomous vehicles industry as one of the next great opportunities for Pittsburgh leadership – and we’ve been betting on its potential with philanthropic investments ever since. With a focus on economic development that benefits communities, RIDC properties are home to many of the region’s technology companies, ranging from fast-growing, early-stage entities to some of the leaders in the autonomy field.