France-based Alstom, a provider of rolling stock and rail services, recently launched its first innovation station in the United States at its Pittsburgh global development center for signaling and train control.
The company’s innovation stations provide cities, universities, transit agencies, technology centers, start-ups, and industry partners spaces for collaboration. The locations also provide a platform to test and incubate new concepts, accelerate the development of creative solutions, and identify promising local ideas and partnerships. The Pittsburgh location will focus on developing mobility solutions that improve accessibility, sustainability, resilience, and passenger experience.
“To solve today’s mobility challenges we need to bring together the best ideas across sectors, disciplines, and communities,” Michael Keroullé, Alstom Americas president, said. “Building on what we’ve learned from our stations elsewhere in the world, this new hub will allow us to work side by side with the U.S. transportation sector’s leading thinkers and innovators, including our own people, to advance real solutions and sustainable economic growth.”
Karina Ricks will lead the Pittsburgh location. She has transportation, mobility, infrastructure, urban design and economic development experience and comes to the company from urban strategy consulting firm Cityfi where she held a variety of other leadership roles.
Alstom’s other stations are located in Paris, Stockholm, Singapore and Montreal.