Industry Clusters
Insights and Experience
Industry Clusters
Regions with effective economic development programs focus on a small number of strategic industries, creating industry clusters that can attract additional companies and jobs in those industries. These clusters must be based on a region’s characteristics and existing resources.
In Southwestern Pennsylvania, RIDC is focused on AI/Autonomy, Energy Innovation, Advanced Manufacturing, and Life Sciences. RIDC is building its own industry clusters in its properties, such as:
– Mill 19,the Lawrenceville Technology Center, and PennSTART for AI and autonomy.
– Westmoreland Innovation Center and Keystone Commons for energy innovation.
– Neighborhood 91, Mill 19, Westmoreland Innovation Center, and Keystone Commons for advanced manufacturing.
– O’Hara Industrial and Lawrenceville Technology Center for life sciences. Hazelwood Green, home to Mill 19, is also a focal point for life sciences with the University of Pittsburgh’s new BioForge building.
AI and Autonomy
RIDC has a deep understanding of the needs of companies leading our innovation economy, based on experience, relationships, and credibility. From the Lawrenceville Technology Center, home to Carnegie Robotics, CaterpillarForefront Report we sponsored in 2021 which included insights from autonomy executives, to the PennSTART shared test track under construction, to plans for Parallax to build a SCIF at Mill 19, RIDC has been developing projects to house players in these exciting new industries.
Hazelwood Green, where Mill 19 is located, has become a center of cutting edge technology, as current home or future home to Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Robotics Innovation Center, University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge, Manufacturing Futures Initiative and Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, both affiliated with CMU, autonomous vehicle company Motional, Catalyst Connection, physical AI company Hellbender, and Parallax.
Energy Innovation
Pittsburgh has a long history and the potential for a strong future. RIDC has had long relationships with industry leaders, including Siemens Energy, Eos Energy, and Holtec and, with support from the Hillman Foundation, has compiled considerable data and an action plan sparking future growth.
Among the recommendations:
– Establish a cluster organization to lead in the development of an industry growth strategy and represent the industry’s position to the public and policy makers.
– Work with regional stakeholders to de-risk investment in infrastructure and property and provide a greater sense of certainty.
– Enhance opportunities to translate university R&D to commercialization and deployment.
Advanced Manufacturing
RIDC is Master Developer of Neighborhood 91, an advanced manufacturing campus near Pittsburgh International Airport. The first build is fully occupied with companies in the Additive Manufacturing field and, with a new 108,000 square foot building under construction, Neighborhood 91 is poised to house its own industry cluster.
Pittsburgh has a long history of manufacturing and RIDC has a long history building homes for companies in that industry. For example, when Re:Build Manufacturing launched a search for a new facility to house 300 new jobs, they quickly gravitated toward RIDC because of its mission, its track record, and its understanding of the value of transforming a former Alcoa campus in New Kensington into a manufacturing beacon for the region.
They joined a host of other advanced manufacturing companies located at RIDC facilities, including Intervala, a turnkey contract electronic manufacturer located and expanding at RIDC Westmoreland Innovation Center in New Stanton.
And with the Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing Institute, Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, Catalyst Connection, and Hellbender located at Mill 19, advanced manufacturing continues to thrive at that site.
Life Sciences
Properties developed by RIDC are home to a thriving cluster of life sciences companies, involved in cutting edge research and the production of life saving products. From RIDC O’Hara to the Chocolate Factory in Lawrenceville, RIDC has been building out lab space for years for start-ups and early-stage companies, often on spec, anticipating industry trends and making space available for this vitally important industry.
A major development – University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge building – is adjacent to RIDC’s Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green. BioForge is a $250 million life sciences initiative designed to transform Pittsburgh’s historic Hazelwood Green area into an international destination for biomanufacturing. ElevateBio will occupy a majority of the building but Pitt envisions a seamless ecosystem where early-stage startups, university scientists, and nonprofit research groups can develop an idea on the university side of the building, then immediately scale it up into clinical-grade manufacturing via ElevateBio.
