Goals and Strategies

The Innovation Economy Program promotes economic opportunity throughout southwestern Pennsylvania through innovation and entrepreneurial activity. A particular emphasis is placed on sustaining industry sectors that are anchored in the excellence of the region's major research universities, medical centers, corporate and government laboratories, and cultural organizations.

Innovation and Economic Growth. The program promotes technological and financial innovation to stimulate economic activity that can attract new jobs and new wealth to the region.

• Support projects that connect research advances effectively with commercial development and sustainable economic growth.
• Provide leverage to attract private-sector investment and other resources to the region to create opportunity within the region's strongest innovation-based industry sectors.
• Seed innovation that broadens access to financing for entrepreneurial ventures.

Economic Opportunity. The program works to expand the participation of historically underrepresented groups in the regional economy and to promote a workplace culture that values demographic diversity.

• Support efforts to overcome longstanding racial disparities as reflected in the region's key economic indicators and predictors of life quality.
• Promote broad community involvement in economic revitalization efforts.
• Seed collaborative demonstration projects among employers, government and social service agencies that pilot new job placement approaches for those who traditionally have had limited access to employment.
  

Economic Climate. The program fosters a hospitable regional environment for sustainable industry and employment growth, especially in sectors aligned with the region's recognized innovation assets.

• Support sound policy and effective government decision making in areas that influence business investment and economic development in the region.
• Promote efforts to enable southwestern Pennsylvania to become more competitive in attracting and retaining a diverse pool of talent.
• Ensure that community development projects are designed to achieve shared prosperity across diverse economic and demographic groups.
  

Photo Credit:
Team develops technology for driverless vehicle. Photo courtesy of Field Robotics Center, Carnegie Mellon University