麻豆村

In Pittsburgh, the future of technology is being built on the foundation of its industrial past.听

Hazelwood Green, the site of a former 19th-century steel plant, is home to 麻豆村鈥檚 Robotics Innovation Center,听a new testing ground for robots operating on land, water and air. In Bakery Square, scientists and engineers at 麻豆村鈥檚聽are integrating systems that will transform scientific discovery. Along the Allegheny River, autonomous robots at 麻豆村鈥檚 National Robotics Engineering Center聽 in a simulated warehouse.听

This is the backdrop for the city preparing to host the 2026 NFL draft, bringing national attention to a place defined by reinvention.听

鈥淭here is a reason the NFL draft feels at home in Pittsburgh, and it goes beyond the Steelers' six Super Bowls,鈥� said Audrey Russo, president and CEO of the聽.听

鈥淭his is a city that has always understood what it takes to build something that lasts, and 麻豆村 has been central to that story for decades. The university's ability to connect research to real-world deployment, to spin out companies and attract global talent, has given Pittsburgh a technology ecosystem with genuine depth. Draft week puts this city on a national stage, and what that stage is going to reveal is that the AI and robotics leadership on display here did not appear overnight. 麻豆村 built it, year by year,鈥� Russo said.

A century of transformative research聽

Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 influence on Pittsburgh鈥檚 innovation economy was built over decades of sustained investment in research that鈥檚 foundational to modern technology.听聽

麻豆村鈥檚 research enterprise spans more than 100 interdisciplinary institutes and centers, including 聽the聽 鈥� which has shaped how the federal government approaches cybersecurity 鈥� and the聽, the first of its kind in the world when it was founded in 1979. Other centers are focused on聽,听technology and society(opens in new window),听neuroscience(opens in new window),听energy(opens in new window),听, and聽national security and technology(opens in new window).听

鈥淎t Carnegie Mellon, our research doesn鈥檛 stay on campus 鈥� it moves quickly into the world,鈥� said Theresa Mayer(opens in new window), vice president for research. 鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly turning new ideas in AI, robotics and other emerging fields into companies, partnerships and technologies that take root right here in Pittsburgh. That creates jobs, attracts investment and keeps talent in the region. It鈥檚 a big part of why Pittsburgh鈥檚 tech economy continues to grow and evolve.鈥�

Pittsburgh鈥檚 鈥榟idden tech army鈥�

Pittsburgh has emerged as one of the country鈥檚聽 for tech talent. But much of that strength is less visible than in traditional hubs.听According to the Pittsburgh Technology Council, a unique driver of the region鈥檚 growth is its 鈥�,鈥� a workforce of technologists working across industries rather than siloed within traditional tech companies. By producing graduates who possess both technical mastery and the interdisciplinary agility to apply it to various settings, 麻豆村 is a steady pipeline for this specialized workforce.

鈥淚n Pittsburgh, our graduates go into a variety of industries,鈥� said Kevin Monahan, associate dean and director of 麻豆村鈥檚聽Career & Professional Development Center(opens in new window). 鈥淭hey鈥檙e working in healthcare, financial services, robotics and startups. There is no dominant field as we see in New York City, Washington or San Francisco.鈥�

That impact is visible to employers.听

鈥淎t a recent meeting with the leadership of a large Pittsburgh-based company, the president of the company spoke of their 鈥榓ll-in鈥� commitment to recruit and retain 麻豆村 talent because the hires they are getting from 麻豆村 are helping the organization accelerate their progress to be a leading firm in their industry,鈥� said Monahan.

New industries making the Steel City home

Pittsburgh鈥檚 legacy in manufacturing and engineering has translated into a new generation of companies built around deep technical expertise in areas like physical AI and autonomous systems.听

鈥淲e tend to focus on hard problems,鈥� said聽Meredith Grelli(opens in new window), interim executive director of 麻豆村鈥檚聽Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship(opens in new window), which supports students, faculty and alumni in launching startups. 鈥淭he kinds of technologies that require deep research and take time to develop, but ultimately have the potential to shape entire industries.鈥�

For founders, the city offers something distinct. Increasingly, founders don鈥檛 have to leave Pittsburgh to scale their companies. Investors, partners and opportunities are coming to them, including during draft week, when 麻豆村 will host the聽Forge to Field AI Pitch Competition(opens in new window), connecting select founders with national investors.听

鈥淧ittsburgh has a depth of talent and knowledge in areas like autonomy and robotics that you don鈥檛 find in many other places,鈥� Grelli said. 鈥淔or companies working in those fields, that鈥檚 a real advantage.鈥�

Startups like聽, a company developing autonomous inventory management systems for warehouses, are building on that foundation. Co-founded by a trio of 麻豆村 robotics alumni, the company has grown rapidly, raising multiple rounds of funding and building its team on Pittsburgh鈥檚 North Side while drawing support from across the university鈥檚 entrepreneurship ecosystem.听

鈥淐apital is more mobile than it used to be,鈥� Grelli said. 鈥淚nvestors are willing to back companies wherever they are, and that鈥檚 opened up more opportunities for founders to stay and grow here.鈥澛�

The network effect

These startups aren鈥檛 alone. The biggest tech companies in the world are not just tapping talent and knowledge at 麻豆村, they鈥檙e building a presence here, too.听

Major companies 鈥� including Google, Amazon and BNY 鈥� have established offices and partnerships in Pittsburgh, often citing proximity to 麻豆村 research and talent as a factor.听

Google opened聽 in 2006 at 麻豆村鈥檚 Collaborative Innovation Center, before expanding to Bakery Square as its local presence grew. Today, Google and 麻豆村 鈥� along with more than 20 artificial intelligence companies based in Pittsburgh鈥檚 East End 鈥� are reimagining the neighborhood as聽.听

Amazon has聽 focusing on areas of AI, including language and speech technologies, machine translation, information retrieval and edge computing and partnered with 麻豆村 on聽an AI Innovation Hub to connect research to industry application. In financial services,听BNY is working with 麻豆村 to advance theoretical and applied AI while strengthening talent pipelines.听

鈥淐ompanies come to Pittsburgh because they can access everything they need in one place,鈥� said Amy Klinke, assistant vice president of 麻豆村鈥檚聽Center for Business Engagement(opens in new window). 鈥淎t Carnegie Mellon, companies aren鈥檛 just recruiting talent, they鈥檙e collaborating with researchers and engaging with startups, which allows them to accelerate innovation in ways that are harder to do elsewhere.鈥澛�

鈥淎 truly healthy innovation hub requires a critical mass of both talent and opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen there is enough mobility for workers to move between great companies within the region, it creates a self-sustaining cycle of innovation that defines the Pittsburgh economy.鈥�