Allegheny County Airport Authority, which oversees operations at Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport, will participate in Pittsburgh’s PGH Lab Program for the first time this summer.
PGH Lab connects local startup companies with the City of Pittsburgh, local authorities and independent institutions to explore new ways to use technology and new services to make local government more efficient, transparent, sustainable and inclusive. The program provides an opportunity for local startups to test their beta-stage products and services in a real-world environment for three to four months.
Startups can propose innovative solutions, match with a participating organization and work with a ‘city champion’, a leader from a participating organization who will guide them throughout the duration of the pilot project.
The City of Pittsburgh and the participating authorities have successfully completed four cycles and engaged 22 local startups, leading to a variety of technological and innovative solutions including waste management and composting, business processes automation, equity and inclusion impact pop-ups, and cybersecurity solutions.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) has joined the City of Pittsburgh and participating authorities as a new testing partner organization for this, the fifth cycle.
“Driving innovation is part of our mission at ACAA and PGH Lab is another connection to our region’s innovative startups and world-class tech economy,” said Katherine Karolick, senior vice president of information technology at the Allegheny County Airport Authority. “We are looking forward to exploring new ideas and concepts to continue driving efficiency and improving the passenger experience at Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport.”
Effective July 25, 2019, startups can propose solutions to complex challenges in the following areas: operations improvement; process improvement; smart cities; citizen engagement; and climate change and environment. Participating companies will be selected through a competitive process.
“The program has led us to form strong partnerships with our local entrepreneurs and authorities. Each cycle brings its own set of challenges and opportunities that are needed to innovate city services and create public value. We are very excited to welcome the Allegheny County Airport Authority this time around,” said Mayor William Peduto.
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash.