In the case of the “steel city” Pittsburgh 23 per cent of jobs and 40 per cent of the city’s payroll are now coming from tech. According to an article by Forbes Magazine, it is thanks to start-up communities that the former industrial centre is now finding a new motivation. 

These start-ups were encouraged over the years by the Pittsburgh Technology Council and helped of course by the wealth and infrastructure built by the former steel industry. Pittsburgh has therefore been able to invest into high-quality education with universities such as Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) attracting students from all over the world. The Technology Council worked closely with government and universities and has been able to connect local start-ups with support, funding and relationships with successful companies. 

All this then contributed to building a successful tech-based economy – on the back of a gone-by area of steel production.

Source: Forbes