The Pittsburgh International Airport and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have built on a series of past partnerships with a new Aviation Innovation Lab, focusing on innovative projects for the airport.
The partnership was confirmed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis and CMU President Farnam Jahanian. Under its authority, students and faculty of CMU’s Metro21: Smart Cities Institute can participate in research, development, and engagement of new projects at the airport that will include new systems and technology.
“Innovation is in our DNA in this region and for our airport to reflect the community it serves, it also needs to be part of the airport,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. “Knowing the vision that Christina Cassotis has for our airport, and the ingenuity that President Jahanian brings to CMU, I expect to see great things as these two and their organizations work together.”
The airport looks to build on a tech momentum that has increasingly changed an area often remembered as part of the nation’s so-called “Rust Belt.” They hope the relationship with CMU will allow the airport and the public both to benefit from it, according to Cassotis.
“Pittsburgh International Airport plays a critical role in our economy and shares our vision for making the Pittsburgh region a model for communities across the world,” Jahanian said. “This agreement will help our Metro21 Institute to continue and expand data-driven projects in a real-world setting.”