New Study Measures Impact of Neighborhood 91 on Region, Industry

Innovative development on airport property projected to generate thousands of jobs

By Matt Neistein

Published January 15, 2020

Read Time: 3 mins

An innovative industrial park at Pittsburgh International Airport will create nearly 6,000 jobs over the next decade, according to a new study.

Neighborhood 91, the first development in the world to condense and connect all components of the advanced manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing supply chain into one production ecosystem, will also generate about $2.2 billion in wages over that same time period, according to The Barnes Group Advisors (TBGA), an additive manufacturing consultancy.

“The timing is perfect and this has been a long time coming,” said John Barnes, founder of the firm and co-author of the study. “My team has been involved AM for 25+ years and we are seeing it mature into a mainstream production process. The concept developed with the Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus (PAIC) couldn’t be better timed or located. Pittsburgh and the region already contain the supply chain for AM, it just isn’t connected.”

The Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates the airport, announced the creation of Neighborhood 91 in October as the first development of the airport innovation campus, a 195-acre business park devoted to the burgeoning AM industry.

First tenant announced

Arencibia, a Coopersburg, Pa.-based firm that recycles argon gas, a key element used in AM, was also announced as the first tenant. On-site supply of the recycled gas, along with a planned microgrid and the neighbor-like proximity of firms specializing in each step of the AM process, is expected to greatly reduce operating costs and speed up production cycles.

For example, the study from TBGA, which is assisting the ACAA in the development of Neighborhood 91, analyzed scenarios for two types of businesses that could locate at the park – a powder manufacturer and a parts manufacturer – and found significant advantages.

Neighborhood 91 will host every element of the fast-growing additive manufacturing industry.

“Both players see a benefit due to direct cost reductions of 25%-30% as a ‘neighbor,’ or tenant, in Neighborhood 91, and the parts manufacturer could achieve a cash-positive business one year earlier (than the industry baseline),” the authors wrote.

Immediate pr