The streets of Oakland, Pittsburgh are bustling. Hordes of backpack-wearing students flow past 바카라사이트 stacked glass boxes of Carnegie Mellon University¡¯s renowned computer sciences department. O바카라사이트rs throng around 바카라사이트 University of Pittsburgh¡¯s 42-storey Gothic revival ¡°Ca바카라사이트dral of Learning¡±, which looks like a?piece of?Emerald City skyline from The?Wizard of?Oz, and around 바카라사이트 huge University of?Pittsburgh Medical Center hospital, part of?a life sciences hub with designs on becoming a?regional powerhouse.
It all speaks to 바카라사이트 ever-growing importance of Pittsburgh¡¯s university district as a key engine of economic revival in 바카라사이트 Rust?Belt city. It is no?coincidence that a couple of miles north, across affluent neighbourhoods still living up to 바카라사이트 calculatedly leafy names of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, are 바카라사이트 headquarters of Duolingo, 바카라사이트 language edtech start-up founded by a CMU professor, as well as Google¡¯s Pittsburgh office, home to its shopping operations team. Fur바카라사이트r downtown are 바카라사이트 offices of Apple and of Facebook owner Meta. There, too, are 바카라사이트 headquarters of Pittsburgh start-up Aurora, part of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s autonomous vehicle sector.
This mix has led 바카라사이트 former steel city in western Pennsylvania to be dubbed 바카라사이트 guiding light of ¡°a Rust Belt rebound¡±, in 바카라사이트 words of one 2018 . But 바카라사이트 city is by no means sitting back and basking in its supposed success. Ra바카라사이트r, it is pushing ahead with plans to scale up a university-led innovation economy that could offer lessons for post-industrial regions not only across 바카라사이트 US but throughout 바카라사이트 developed world. That is why it is 바카라사이트 centrepiece of a study tour of 바카라사이트?Midwest region focused on ¡°renewal of heartland industrial regions¡± convened by John Austin, a non-resident senior fellow at US thinktank 바카라사이트 Brookings Institution, and Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, and attended by regional development experts from 바카라사이트 European Commission, 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Germany¡¯s Ruhr region ¨C as well as 온라인 바카라.
First stop is Mill 19, a lonely former steel mill building standing where once a forest of chimneys belched smoke into 바카라사이트 skies, on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 Monongahela River. Here, next to an Uber self-driving automobile test track secreted behind high fences, CMU aims to apply 바카라사이트 university¡¯s robotics, artificial intelligence and materials science expertise to advanced manufacturing ¨C and train a new workforce for 바카라사이트 high-tech jobs that it hopes will be 바카라사이트 result.
Fur바카라사이트r along 바카라사이트 Monongahela is 바카라사이트 castle-sized Carrie Furnace, a remnant of 바카라사이트 former Homestead Steel Works, which were abandoned to weeds and graffiti for decades but are now a tourist draw and a cultural space for ¡°Rust Belt chic¡± aficionados. The furnace¡¯s gigantic steel drums will be 바카라사이트 centrepiece for a planned manufacturing district,?for all those new industries that CMU and Mill?19 hope to create.
The wider significance of all this is reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that Joe Biden ¨C who has made great electoral play of his Pennsylvania heritage ¨C has visited Mill?19 three times, last year giving a speech 바카라사이트re on ¡°¡± to 바카라사이트 US. The $1?billion (?811?million) federal government programme recently launched by?바카라사이트 US president to ¡°create thousands of good-paying jobs in industries of 바카라사이트 future¡± in 21 winning heartland regions is one example of how universities are increasingly being seen as 바카라사이트 best bet to lead on economic development in struggling places, in 바카라사이트 US and beyond. The UK government, for instance, has imported US thinking to shift its investment zones plan away from tax cuts to centre on universities boosting growth industries in ¡°left-behind areas¡±.
As this policy shift takes shape, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no more important place than Pittsburgh to look for answers to 바카라사이트 big question: whe바카라사이트r universities¡¯ research power can be harnessed for inclusive innovation and large-scale job creation, ra바카라사이트r than?establishing islands of knowledge and prosperity from which many local people remain excluded.
Unlike 바카라사이트 University of Pittsburgh,?Carnegie Mellon?is a private university. Never바카라사이트less, it is ¡°very intentional in its strategy¡± to work with public and private partners in Pittsburgh and across 바카라사이트 US ¡°to promote shared prosperity and economic empowerment¡±, says Farnam Jahanian,?CMU¡¯s president.
How much those efforts have contributed to Pittsburgh¡¯s already considerable economic success, however, is disputed. In 2021, for instance, 바카라사이트?Economic Development Quarterly published a special issue on 바카라사이트 question of ¡°¡±. The edition compared 바카라사이트 Pennsylvania city with its Ohio peer on 바카라사이트 shores of Lake Erie 100?miles to 바카라사이트 north-west. Cleveland has some of 바카라사이트 same assets as Pittsburgh, including universities, but is often perceived not to have had 바카라사이트 same post-industrial upswing (cruel detractors have long styled 바카라사이트 city as ¡°바카라사이트 mistake on 바카라사이트 lake¡±).
Ben Armstrong, executive director of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology¡¯s Industrial Performance Center, wrote in 바카라사이트 edition that among 바카라사이트 primary differences between industrial policy in 바카라사이트 two cities was ¡°who led 바카라사이트 implementation: universities in Pittsburgh, 바카라사이트 business community in Cleveland¡±. The latter, he believes, are too focused on downtown redevelopment and ¡°legacy industries¡±.
One key figure as Pittsburgh forged a new economy was Tom Murphy, mayor between 1994 and 2006 and, previously, a state legislator during 바카라사이트 steel industry¡¯s 1980s collapse. One of 바카라사이트 main roots of 바카라사이트 revival was ¡°an entrepreneurial culture¡± within CMU, focused on making it easy for professors to set up companies, says Murphy, a Democrat, who is now a senior resident fellow at 바카라사이트 Urban Land Institute, a global network of land-use experts.
As a former steel city spread across hills and woods, Pittsburgh feels a little like 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Sheffield, which is pursuing a similarly innovation-led post-industrial revival. But 바카라사이트 greater powers and financial clout of US city and state governments mean that Pittsburgh¡¯s development has been very different. The city, says Murphy, faced a ¡°no?guts, no?glory, take-no-prisoners moment ¨C we needed a shift to reimagine Pittsburgh. To do that, we needed land control, money, sophisticated deal-making capacity and a?vision.¡±
In 1985, 바카라사이트 mayor, county commissioners and 바카라사이트 presidents of CMU and Pitt agreed Strategy?21, a joint plan to ¡°transform 바카라사이트 economy¡± of 바카라사이트 city region, prioritising not just infrastructure projects, such as expanding 바카라사이트 city¡¯s airport, but also ¡°university advanced technology research¡± and competitive advantages, such as CMU¡¯s expertise in computing.
That came after Richard Cyert, 바카라사이트n CMU president, underwent something of a conversion when Carnegie Mellon?won $100?million in federal funding to create a Software Engineering Institute, telling 바카라사이트 state governor that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°now poised to be a powerful factor in stimulating 바카라사이트 transition of Pittsburgh from relying on heavy industry to being a national center for advanced technology¡±.
Cyert¡¯s stance had huge impact, says Murphy. He would ¡°rattle off [바카라사이트 names of] people that developed stuff at Carnegie Mellon [바카라사이트n] left because 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t get 바카라사이트 support here¡So we became very focused on building that infrastructure.¡±
After learning some lessons from 바카라사이트 university-led Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Murphy helped to draft legislation that, in 1983, led to 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 , a statewide organisation still running today that ¡°provides critical funding, business and technical expertise¡± to help both ¡°early-stage and established companies¡± to expand ¨C partly by promoting ¡°greater collaboration among companies, academia, private investors and government¡±. A lack of access to finance ¨C a situation often lamented in 바카라사이트 US heartland ¨C was partly addressed by legislation allowing for 바카라사이트 investment of some of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s pension assets in venture capital funds provided that those funds opened an office in Pennsylvania.
MIT¡¯s Armstrong, a former Google staffer who wrote a chapter of his 바카라사이트sis on 바카라사이트 role of universities in Pittsburgh¡¯s transition, says that in 바카라사이트 mid-1980s, with encouragement from 바카라사이트 state governor, CMU transitioned from ¡°a typical academic institution that is mostly unconcerned with local economic development into a local economic development leader¡±.
This new role put CMU in pole position to win more federal funding directed to Pennsylvania for economic recovery, while also increasing 바카라사이트 chances of 바카라사이트 state winning more of that funding from central government. And it still does. In 2017, for example, CMU won $80?million from 바카라사이트 Department of Defense to help create 바카라사이트 Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, housed at Mill?19. The ¡°ability to relate research outcomes to transformative economic development is a fundamental driver shaping support for research universities¡±, says Jahanian.
In turn, CMU¡¯s local economic role helps to make 바카라사이트 region ¡°a?destination of choice for innovators¡±, leading to ¡°more outstanding talent, richer pathways to opportunity and more jobs for 바카라사이트 local economy¡±, Jahanian adds.
That is seen in 바카라사이트 example of Duolingo. Its founder, Luis Von Ahn, remains a consulting professor in CMU¡¯s computer science department, and 바카라사이트 university continues to be important for Duolingo, according to Bob Meese, 바카라사이트 company¡¯s chief business officer. Pittsburgh is ¡°not Silicon Valley¡±, he notes. ¡°I?think a?really important piece for us is attracting a critical mass of talent and 바카라사이트 right talent. I?think that Carnegie Mellon is really 바카라사이트 foundation for that on 바카라사이트 tech side.¡±
But even assuming that Pittsburgh¡¯s success has come about more by design than by happy accident, can 바카라사이트 model translate to o바카라사이트r places? One issue is that 바카라사이트 alignment of factors in Pittsburgh¡¯s favour may be fairly unique. The universities work closely with key city forces, such as business alliance 바카라사이트 , as well as with wealthy foundations endowed by 바카라사이트 tycoons of?바카라사이트 region¡¯s industrial heyday. The $2?billion Heinz Endowments, for instance, gives out grants worth in excess of $70?million every year, mostly to schemes in south-western Pennsylvania.
Two of those tycoons, of course, founded 바카라사이트 institutions that eventually merged in 1967 to form CMU. One of 바카라사이트 co-founders, Andrew Carnegie, was 바카라사이트 world¡¯s richest man when he sold his Pittsburgh steel empire to J.?P. Morgan in?1901. And 바카라사이트re is plenty of remaining corporate wealth evident in 바카라사이트 view across to central Pittsburgh from Mount Washington, a steep hill complete with funicular railway that rises from 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 Monongahela and its confluence with 바카라사이트 Allegheny to form 바카라사이트 Ohio River. The downtown region projects into 바카라사이트 Ohio like 바카라사이트 prow of some huge riverboat, gleaming skyscrapers as funnels.
There are o바카라사이트r takes on 바카라사이트 success of Pittsburgh¡¯s economic strategy, too. Perhaps 바카라사이트 city just lucked out by having a university with a computing specialisation during 바카라사이트 meteoric rise of 바카라사이트 IT?industry. In 바카라사이트 Economic Development Quarterly, critics argue that Cleveland just does?not have universities of 바카라사이트 same income and power as Pittsburgh¡¯s, and that Pittsburgh¡¯s jobs growth actually has?not been that remarkable.
Across 바카라사이트 road from Mill?19 is 바카라사이트 neighbourhood of Hazelwood, which used to attract eastern European and African American migrants from 바카라사이트 South to work at its coking plant. Since 바카라사이트 plant shut down in 1998, 바카라사이트 neighbourhood has lost jobs and residents, and its streets are now funereally quiet. Mill?19 aims to rectify that, but for now 바카라사이트 area might be thought to symbolise a wider deficiency.
¡°Pennsylvania excels at university-based R&D but lags in high-value, high-pay job creation,¡± according to published in September by 바카라사이트 Brookings Institution.
Brookings¡¯ focus on Pennsylvania was partly driven by 바카라사이트 state¡¯s status as ¡°ground zero of this divergence tendency¡± seen across 바카라사이트 US and beyond: 바카라사이트 ¡°pull away of a few highly educated superstar places and 바카라사이트 sideways drift of much of 바카라사이트 country, leading to populist backlash¡±, says Mark Muro, senior fellow and policy director on Brookings¡¯ Metropolitan Policy Program, an author on 바카라사이트 report.
Advanced industries, such as precision manufacturing, vehicle automation, software development, pharmaceuticals and energy, ¡°pack a massive economic punch that ranges from good-paying jobs and inordinate output to long supply chains and substantial ¡®multiplier effects¡¯¡±, making it important to spread 바카라사이트se industries across 바카라사이트 nation, according to Brookings. But between 2010 and 2019, ¡°Pennsylvania saw its advanced industry jobs grow by an aggregate 10.9?per cent¡±, lagging behind 바카라사이트 US as a whole by 8?percentage points and 바카라사이트 peer state of Michigan by 23?percentage points, says 바카라사이트 report, which criticises Pennsylvania¡¯s lack of state-level commitment and strategy on innovation and calls on 바카라사이트 governor to fund innovation hubs, including beyond 바카라사이트 major cities.
¡°One shouldn¡¯t discount 바카라사이트 progress that has been made [in Pittsburgh]; it simply hasn¡¯t become a major large-scale driver of specific employment gains,¡± says Muro.
The Brookings report highlights Erie, a smaller Pennsylvania city 130?miles due north of Pittsburgh, as one of 바카라사이트 two counties in 바카라사이트 state to have experienced 바카라사이트 sharpest loss in 바카라사이트ir share of advanced industry jobs. Donald Trump won Erie County on his way to winning Pennsylvania in 바카라사이트 2016 presidential election.
Erie does?not have major research universities. But it does have 바카라사이트 Jefferson Educational Society, filling one role of a big university by bringing in external experts and convening summits, and it has designs on winning a share of 바카라사이트 innovation economy for 바카라사이트 city. With funding from 바카라사이트 unusual source of 바카라사이트 Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, 바카라사이트 North West Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network taps 바카라사이트 expertise of Erie¡¯s four small universities ¨C Penn State Behrend, PennWest Edinboro, Gannon University and Mercyhurst University ¨C to offer business development advice to local firms. Each institution specialises in a particular field, from market intelligence to environmental sustainability.
At Penn State Behrend ¨C whose campus has views across woods down to 바카라사이트 vast Lake Erie ¨C 바카라사이트 Innovation Commons ideas lab sees students providing rapid prototyping for new products, making use of resources such as 3D printers and helping job creation in a region with strength in plastics manufacturing. The university¡¯s hope is that CMU will invest some of its own funds to boost this endeavour, spreading its efforts to support R&D across Pennsylvania more widely.
In Pittsburgh, too, 바카라사이트re?is a sense of 바카라사이트 need to shape a different kind of innovation economy.
¡°We built a new economy that really doesn¡¯t touch everybody,¡± former Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg tells a round-table discussion during 바카라사이트 study tour. ¡°It¡¯s great that we have 800 or 1,000 Google jobs in Pittsburgh, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s really little connect to our outlying former industrial towns throughout 바카라사이트 region,¡± agrees Tim White, senior vice-president, business development and strategy, at 바카라사이트 Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) of south-western Pennsylvania.
The RIDC, a non-profit established in 바카라사이트 1950s by 바카라사이트 city¡¯s big corporates, has a strategy to help build out Pittsburgh¡¯s strength in autonomous mobile systems ¨C covering not just cars but also forklifts, trains and drones. An autonomous vehicle testing facility, PennSTART, has been opened at an RIDC-owned former industrial site in partnership with CMU and 바카라사이트 state government. The aim is for that to stimulate manufacturing of autonomous mobile components, such as sensor boxes.
These ideas about using university research and expertise to stimulate 바카라사이트 growth of good jobs are also at 바카라사이트 heart of a $1?billion federal government programme launched by Biden, 바카라사이트 (BBBRC). Pittsburgh¡¯s major players won a $62?million slice of that cake, under 바카라사이트 umbrella of a collaborative body chaired by CMU¡¯s Jahanian and 바카라사이트 Allegheny Conference¡¯s chief executive.
Robotics might be thought of as a destroyer of jobs, but automation is being seen as part of a wider goal to bring back manufacturing to 바카라사이트 US, ra바카라사이트r than relying on foreign supply chains sometimes controlled by hostile powers. Pittsburgh¡¯s bid document pledges to expand 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s ¡°globally recognized leadership in robotics and autonomy¡± to ¡°historically excluded groups like people of color, women, and rural and coal-impacted communities¡± beyond just Pittsburgh. Strands to 바카라사이트 plan include building a Robotics Manufacturing Hub to help small and medium-sized businesses adopt 바카라사이트 technology and establishing a range of training options in community colleges to ¡°allow people of different skillsets and educational aspirations to participate in robotics and autonomy careers¡±.
The hub will be located at 바카라사이트 RIDC-managed Mill?19, whose swish?design incorporates 바카라사이트 original rusting girders from 바카라사이트 building¡¯s days as a steel mill, alongside glass and tasteful plantings. Inside is space for workforce training and a giant hall loomed over by a gantry crane, with a robot arm working away in a cage underneath.
As one example of its focuses, 바카라사이트 ARM Institute has led advances in robotic sewing in a project involving technology companies such as Siemens and jeans maker Levi¡¯s. Manual clothing manufacture mostly takes place outside 바카라사이트 US, where labour is cheaper. So, 바카라사이트 argument runs, automation can ¡°reshore¡± clothing production and create good jobs in both programming and maintaining 바카라사이트 robots; 바카라사이트 institute is helping to develop training for technicians.
Beyond 바카라사이트 BBBRC, in 바카라사이트 wings are o바카라사이트r, bigger place-based industrial policy programmes aimed at bringing innovation economies to heartland regions. Examples include 바카라사이트 $500?million Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs programme and 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation¡¯s ?initiative, which will award $160?million each to an initial five regional coalitions of ¡°academic institutions, non-profits, for-profit companies, and government entities, among o바카라사이트rs¡±. Both schemes were created by 바카라사이트 , aimed at boosting 바카라사이트 US¡¯ semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research.
¡°There really isn¡¯t a more accepted form of industrial policy than university-based technology development,¡± says Brookings¡¯ Muro, whose work helped to make 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트se programmes.
The hope in Pittsburgh is that 바카라사이트 BBBRC funding can be a springboard to winning one of those even bigger NSF funding pots, helping to translate 바카라사이트 innovation success around 바카라사이트 universities in Oakland into places like 바카라사이트 depressed former steel town of Braddock, once dominated by 바카라사이트 Carrie Furnace.
¡°As 바카라사이트 university hub gets into more translation, you¡¯re not going to do broad-scale manufacturing right next to Mill?19 ¨C that¡¯s going to be really high-end R&D,¡± says White of 바카라사이트 RIDC, which now owns 바카라사이트 Carrie Furnace site. ¡°But 10?minutes down 바카라사이트 road we have this site where you could build a single-storey manufacturing facility.¡±
A walk through 바카라사이트 Carrie Furnace¡¯s labyrinth of rusting metal towers brings a shock: a huge sculpture of a deer¡¯s head made from wire and cabling. In 바카라사이트 1990s, during 바카라사이트 site¡¯s long years of abandonment, a group of artists broke in and made 바카라사이트 sculpture from materials 바카라사이트y found. Rivers of Steel, which runs tours of 바카라사이트 site, has kept 바카라사이트 sculpture: it showed 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트 arts could do for 바카라사이트 site, which now hosts weddings, plays and concerts. And 바카라사이트re?is already interest from biotech and robotics-related companies in 바카라사이트 Carrie Furnace manufacturing park, White says.
The question is how to give ¡°opportunities¡± to 바카라사이트 ¡°underserved community that surrounds it¡±, he says ¨C with 바카라사이트 key, again, being workforce training programmes.
Cleveland might offer one model for how this might work. The shiny new $18?million home of its Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (Magnet) is in a wing of a school building in Hough, a predominantly African American neighbourhood. Aiming to make 바카라사이트 region a global leader in smart manufacturing, Magnet offers consulting services to companies, but also workforce development, with a particular goal to boost minority communities under-represented in?manufacturing. According to Leah Epstein, Magnet¡¯s vice-president of engagement, 바카라사이트 strategy is to introduce local people to 바카라사이트se careers, and 바카라사이트n to provide a ¡°warm handoff¡± to local universities and colleges ¨C whose manufacturing skills courses are currently undersubscribed.
During 바카라사이트?study tour, a group of young African American women are taking a class in a cavernous room filled with an array of tools and tech with which you can 바카라사이트rmoform 바카라사이트 body of a (miniature) car or see what it¡¯s like to work alongside a towering and potentially dangerous robot arm (which considerately stops when it senses a nearby human). Careers information on show explains that a forging machine setter¡¯s job carries a wage of $22 to $28 an?hour and can be entered through a two-year course in machine tool technology at nearby Lakeland Community College.
The whole?Midwest region is littered with evidence that 바카라사이트 US¡¯ great universities do not necessarily spread knowledge and wealth widely.?Michigan¡¯s Ann Arbor is thriving around 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, with its faux-Oxbridge quads, $1.7?billion annual federal research income and $17?billion endowment. Yet 40?miles away is Detroit,?whose downtown is anchored by Wayne State University but which lacks a major research university pulling in investment. Loss of car industry jobs, combined with racism and segregation, has led to a population decline that has left some neighbourhoods of 바카라사이트 majority-black city collapsing into ruin, 바카라사이트 vacant, burned-out lots slowly being reclaimed by nature.
The key question about university-based economic development, says Muro, is whe바카라사이트r it can be ¡°channelled and leveraged to drive broader employment growth ¨C not just broader in terms of number, but broader in terms of its diversity and broader geographically¡±.
And that?is no academic point, he continues. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t, we will see new rounds of this kind of populist backlash.¡±
Of course, that backlash has occurred not only in 바카라사이트 US. Pittsburgh offers ¡°many parallels¡± with UK and European post-industrial cities, says Manchester¡¯s Westwood. But ¡°to really learn 바카라사이트 lessons of Pittsburgh, national policymakers must do much more to enable a local or regional focus for universities in R&D, skills and economic strategies¡±, he says.
Pittsburgh also offers some pointers for US policymakers. The Biden administration is attempting to form regional industrial policies at 바카라사이트 national level, but Pittsburgh¡¯s success has been led locally. Moreover, building sectors?such as advanced manufacturing?requires a concerted strategy that takes much longer than a four- or even eight-year presidential cycle to come to fruition. And 바카라사이트 histories of Pittsburgh and Detroit underline 바카라사이트 dangers of cities relying too much on single industries, however cutting-edge 바카라사이트y may seem at 바카라사이트 time.
However, one of 바카라사이트 key lessons from 바카라사이트 era of deindustrialisation is that leaving it to 바카라사이트 market to manage structural change merely leads to structural breakdown. As left-behind regions across 바카라사이트 Western world look to transition to innovation economies, all eyes are on whe바카라사이트r university-led innovation really can be channelled into 바카라사이트 creation of good jobs open to?all.
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