Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Members

Membership

blue

Axios Pittsburgh Partners

Axios Pittsburgh Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Pittsburgh Alerts

Alert

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Pittsburgh with Alexis Johnson, Ryan Deto, and Chrissy Suttles.

Axios Pittsburgh

Standard

Pittsburgh manufacturing shouldn't only be known for steel — the region should build a new industry, says Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.

The big picture: Pittsburgh's economy has mostly moved out of the shadow of steel and heavy industry and is looking to forge a new future for blue-collar work.

Driving the news: Innamorato on Thursday launched ACT NOW, a strategy to position the county as a world leader in clean tech and advanced manufacturing.

Zoom in: ACT NOW creates an action team focused on aligning the interests of industry, organized labor, and the region's large universities, like Carnegie Mellon.

It also aims to funnel public investment to match its objectives, make sure investments have a broad public benefit, and prioritize local clean tech firms that contract with the county.

Zoom out: Julia Meisel of the Rocky Mountain Institute said regions with similarities to Pittsburgh are seeing success in building clean tech and sustainable energy industries.

Raleigh-Durham, about the same size as the Pittsburgh metro, has garnered nearly 10 times as much investment in clean tech as Pittsburgh, she said.

Houston, also home to a massive natural-gas sector, has attracted six large energy headquarters relocations focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Fellow Rust Belt city Cleveland's regional partners are collaborating to attract advanced manufacturing.

A woman seated at a blue-clothed table signs documents while six people in business attire look on; windowed office setting and the Allegheny County seal on the table are visible.

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato signing the ACT NOW order at the Energy Innovation Center in the Hill District. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios

Case in point: The order looks to capitalize on other clean tech investments, like battery storage company Eos Energy Enterprises on the North Side and the advanced manufacturing hub Neighborhood 91 next to the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Allegheny County has already invested $15 million in related efforts, including the expansion of Neighborhood 91.

The county established a climate action plan last year.

What they're saying: Reeja Jayan, CEO and founder of battery performance startup SeaLion Energy, said Pittsburgh is the most helpful area she has worked in.

"Everyone here wants to open doors and help you," she said.

Context: Annual global investment in clean technology surpassed $2 trillion in 2025 and is expected to grow further, according to Innamorato's executive order.

Between the lines: CMU's Costa Samaras, who worked in former President Biden's clean energy transition office, said CMU, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of West Virginia combined spent over $2 billion annually on research.

"We have a leading edge in AI, in robotics and in manufacturing. But you have to build stuff, and there is no better place to do this than here," said Samaras.

Reality check: Pennsylvania has already attracted $90 billion in AI and energy investment, mostly for natural gas and data center development, which have mixed environmental records.

The bottom line: Innamorato said companies like Eos and Westinghouse are already doing this work, but she wants it to grow.

"Allegheny County already has the foundation. We already have the energy to fuel these industries."

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Neighborhood 91 is next to the Pittsburgh International Airport (not in Hazelwood).

Allegheny County pushes to become a clean tech hub

The initiative seeks to attract investment and expand advanced manufacturing.

Illustration of a hand screwing a light bulb into a smoke stack.  

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Pittsburgh manufacturing shouldn&#x27;t only be known for steel — the region should build a new industry, says Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.The big picture: Pittsburgh&#x27;s economy has mostly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="moved out of the shadow of steel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/06/new-book-pittsburgh-beyond-steel-economy" data-vars-content-id="03a403af-287a-41b7-90b2-55a509015d18" data-vars-headline="Allegheny County pushes to become a clean tech hub" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/06/new-book-pittsburgh-beyond-steel-economy" target="_self">moved out of the shadow of steel</a> and heavy industry and is looking to forge a new future for blue-collar work.

News

Development

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Stylized map of downtown Pittsburgh showing a neon lime-green route along the river, a yellow suspension-bridge silhouette, and the Welcome to Picklesburgh logo with a green banner.

Picklesburgh has an expanded footprint this year. Image: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Our favorite pickle party is getting even bigger.

The big dill: Picklesburgh will be held July 16-19 — spanning two bridges (Warhol and Clemente), Allegheny Riverfront Park, the newly renovated Market Square, westbound Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Sixth Street and PPG Plaza. 

This year's festival expands into Arts Landing, the Cultural District's new four-acre park.

By the cucumbers: Picklesburgh drew more than 208,000 people last year.

Between the brines: Organizers will announce vendors and the full schedule soon, according to a press release. 

Picklesburgh expands into Arts Landing this year

The pickle festival returns in July with a larger footprint Downtown.

<figure><img alt="Stylized map of downtown Pittsburgh showing a neon lime-green route along the river, a yellow suspension-bridge silhouette, and the Welcome to Picklesburgh logo with a green banner." height="1412" id="b057309e-d01f-4dda-b83c-0804fcbb94d8" src="https://images.axios.com/82nIIz9wuRYu8J8UDi5H9SnxA5U=/2026/06/02/1780423949650.png" width="1573"/><figcaption>Picklesburgh has an expanded footprint this year. Image: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership</figcaption></figure>Our favorite <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pickle party" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/10/picklesburgh-mechanical-pickle-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="4fded1c2-60fe-471b-95b6-58e0713f2041" data-vars-headline="Picklesburgh expands into Arts Landing this year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/10/picklesburgh-mechanical-pickle-pittsburgh" target="_self">pickle party</a> is getting even bigger.The big dill: Picklesburgh will be held July 16-19 — spanning two bridges (Warhol and Clemente), Allegheny Riverfront Park, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="newly renovated Market Square" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/04/22/pittsburgh-market-square-renovation" data-vars-content-id="4fded1c2-60fe-471b-95b6-58e0713f2041" data-vars-headline="Picklesburgh expands into Arts Landing this year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/04/22/pittsburgh-market-square-renovation" target="_self">newly renovated Market Square</a>, westbound Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Sixth Street and PPG Plaza.

Things to Do

It's a big year for Pittsburgh tourism, and leaders want to keep the momentum going.

Why it matters: Raising the region's profile supports a broader strategy to attract investment, new residents, and more consistent tourism.

Driving the news: Pro-Pittsburgh advertisements have hit Washington, D.C. transit stations, according to Axios Visuals Editor Sara Wise.

She spotted several at Metro Center subway station on Friday.

Context: The ads are part of Visit Pittsburgh's Forge On initiative, a marketing campaign to bring in new visitors.

Ads show images of the Duquesne Incline with Downtown's skyline in the background, reading "forge on golden hour views" and photos of the Bill Mazeroski statue to highlight PNC Park.

Underground subway pillar wrapped with a "Visit Pittsburgh" poster; colorful squares, orange cones, bench, and brown tile floor, with trains and a few passengers in the background.

Maz would want you to visit Pittsburgh. Photo: Sara Wise/Axios

By the numbers: Visit Pittsburgh says 83% of current Pittsburgh travelers are repeat visitors.

What they're saying: "Pittsburgh was built on the fire of an industrial era and the grit that shaped champions, but our legacy was never just about steel. It has always been about resilience and creativity," said Visit Pittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar in a statement.

Pro tip: Take the train between Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh to really soak in the experience. 

What's next: Visit Pittsburgh says video and audio ads will also hit streaming channels, radio stations, and social media feeds.

train between Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh tourism campaign goes to Washington

New ads aim to attract first-time visitors and raise the city's profile.

Inside a tunnel, a framed digital poster on beige concrete shows a city skyline with a red cable car and the words "GOLDEN HOUR VIEWS"; a Visit Pittsburgh logo at the bottom.

See this sign, take the subway to Union Station, and then take Amtrak all the way to Pittsburgh. Photo: Sara Wise/Axios

It&#x27;s a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="big year for Pittsburgh tourism" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/01/05/pittsburgh-2026-nfl-draft-world-cup-arts" data-vars-content-id="d69f05e6-26b5-4914-a6b9-00962ffcd884" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh tourism campaign goes to Washington" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/01/05/pittsburgh-2026-nfl-draft-world-cup-arts" target="_self">big year for Pittsburgh tourism</a>, and leaders want to keep the momentum going.Why it matters: Raising the region&#x27;s profile supports a broader strategy to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="attract investment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/05/allegheny-county-clean-tech-manufacturing-plan" data-vars-content-id="d69f05e6-26b5-4914-a6b9-00962ffcd884" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh tourism campaign goes to Washington" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/05/allegheny-county-clean-tech-manufacturing-plan" target="_self">attract investment</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new residents" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/08/25/pittsburgh-newcomers-drive-growth" data-vars-content-id="d69f05e6-26b5-4914-a6b9-00962ffcd884" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh tourism campaign goes to Washington" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/08/25/pittsburgh-newcomers-drive-growth" target="_self">new residents</a>, and more consistent tourism.

Travel

A group of startups made their pitch Wednesday to the region's burgeoning AI, robotics and life science industries.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh wants to expand its tech industry and create an AI hub to rival bigger markets like Silicon Valley and Boston.

Driving the news: The AlphaLab cohort of 21 local startups showcased their technology to potential investors in Oakland on Wednesday afternoon.

Each was awarded $100,000 in February to build out their platforms, devices and robotics.

Zoom in: The cohort includes five members in software, five in the health industry and 11 in the hardware and robotics fields.

Clear Solar is integrating autonomous dust removal technology developed by NASA for solar panels to keep them more efficient.

Inductive Robotics created technology installed on poles to enforce parking rules more cheaply than fare gates or in-ground sensors, said CEO Madhav Ayyagari. Their technology goes live at Carnegie Mellon later this month.

Concordare created a patented fully digital platform to speed up the process and help users make fewer errors in their clinical trials.

Bl!nk ensures that small businesses' and retailers' Shopify pages run quickly. CEO Bryan Brown said one of their clients, The Truffleist, saw significant increases in revenue the day after the company improved its Shopify account.

Conopi uses AI to improve cost estimates for large-scale infrastructure projects.

Busy expo under a large orange tent with string lights. Crowds gather around booths with blue and black banners, tables and laptops, creating a lively conference-like atmosphere.

The 21 cohort members demonstrated their products in Schenley Plaza. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios

What they're saying: Concordare founding account executive Sam Rapp said she was inspired to improve clinical trials because she was diagnosed with diabetes as a child and has been consistently told a cure is "just five years away."

State of play: Not every startup to come out of AlphaLab's cohort succeeds, but 2010 cohort member NoWait successfully sold to Yelp in 2017 for $40 million.

Since 2008, the group has supported over 300 companies that have raised a total of $1.6 billion, said Innovation Works director of accelerator programs Aaron Tainter.

What's next: AlphaLab is accepting applications for the 2027 cohort, which starts in February.

Applications are due by July 17. Apply here.

Local tech startups pitch to be next big thing

Twenty-one local startups pitched investors as the region grows its tech ecosystem.

Illustration of a robot hand writing on a whiteboard. 

A group of startups made their pitch Wednesday to the region&#x27;s burgeoning AI, robotics and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="life science" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/19/pittsburgh-biotech-boom-federal-investment" data-vars-content-id="e01d4ef7-8200-4c71-b025-b52f82d5b59f" data-vars-headline="Local tech startups pitch to be next big thing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/19/pittsburgh-biotech-boom-federal-investment" target="_self">life science</a> industries.Why it matters: Pittsburgh wants to expand its tech industry and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="create an AI hub" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/04/16/mark-cuban-pittsburgh-ai-showcase-nfl-draft" data-vars-content-id="e01d4ef7-8200-4c71-b025-b52f82d5b59f" data-vars-headline="Local tech startups pitch to be next big thing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/04/16/mark-cuban-pittsburgh-ai-showcase-nfl-draft" target="_self">create an AI hub</a> to rival bigger markets like Silicon Valley and Boston.

We didn't play a big role in founding America. We aren't close to being the biggest city, and our accent isn't like any other in the country, but Pittsburgh still has a strong argument for the most American city.

Why it matters: The nation's 250th anniversary is coming up, and cities across the U.S. are commemorating their role in building America. 

Case in point: Pittsburgh's steel industry quite literally built the nation.

We helped build some of the most iconic symbols of American greatness — the Empire State Building, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the Panama Canal — not to mention the industrial muscle and wartime production that helped win two world wars and cement America as a global superpower.

Zoom in: The nation's most American holiday is the Fourth of July, and Pittsburgh was voted the nation's best Independence Day celebration in this year's USA Today 10Best poll.

New Castle in Pittsburgh's metro area is the Fireworks Capital of America.

Flashback: George Washington didn't spend much time in Southwest Pennsylvania, but his time here shaped him immensely and helped him defeat the British.

Dig in: Ketchup is arguably the most American condiment, and Heinz is objectively the best ketchup. Since Heinz started here and is still headquartered here, a taste of Pittsburgh is on nearly every dinner table in America.

State of play: While the Dallas Cowboys are known as "America's team," Art Rooney, the Steelers' original owner, claims Pittsburgh's team was initially offered that moniker by the NFL, but he turned it down.

Between the whines: Complaining is on the rise nationally, and no one complains quite like us. Not to mention how much Pittsburghers hate change.

But that is increasingly becoming as American as apple pie.

The other side: While Pittsburgh's identity was forged by generations of early immigrants, it's now one of the least diverse places in America. 

Our winding roads and odd driving habits also clash with an America designed to accommodate more cars.

What they're saying: Pittsburgh is going all out this summer to prove how American it really is.

Point State Park is hosting a free Nelly and Third Eye Blind concert for America's 250 celebration; American Legion Riders will escort the U.S. flag from Pittsburgh to the nation's capital and make 13 stops in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Acrisure Stadium is hosting World Cup watch parties to (hopefully) cheer on Team USA if they advance to the knockout rounds.

"We promise Pittsburgh won't disappoint," said Visit Pittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar in a statement.

Sound off: Do you think Pittsburgh is the most American city?

Email us at pittsburgh@axios.com to let us know.

Why Pittsburgh is the most American city

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alleghany River, Bronze Figures, George Washington And Seneca Chief Guyasuta. (Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Point of View Statue on Mount Washington. Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

We didn&#x27;t play a big role in founding America. We aren&#x27;t close to being the biggest city, and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="our accent" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/04/01/the-pitt-wholeys-pronunciation-backlash" data-vars-content-id="e1d12f06-1017-4c43-a8f3-4d0489a99078" data-vars-headline="Why Pittsburgh is the most American city" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/04/01/the-pitt-wholeys-pronunciation-backlash" target="_self">our accent</a> isn&#x27;t like any other in the country, but Pittsburgh still has a strong argument for the most American city.Why it matters: The nation&#x27;s 250th anniversary is coming up, and cities across the U.S. are commemorating their role in building America.

Ryan Deto

Featured stories

Why Pittsburgh is the most American city

Pittsburgh tourism campaign goes to Washington

Allegheny County pushes to become a clean tech hub

Local tech startups pitch to be next big thing

Picklesburgh expands into Arts Landing this year