Pennsylvania invests $1.5M in CMU Physical AI Accelerator at new Robotics Innovation Center

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that the state will invest 1.5 million dollars in Carnegie Mellon University's plan to develop a 25,000 square foot Physical AI Accelerator inside the CMU Robotics Innovation Center at Hazelwood Green. The grant comes from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and will support construction costs. Design work is scheduled to begin in 2026, with construction expected to conclude by March 2028. The accelerator will provide dedicated space for corporate launch teams, startups and CMU researchers to collaborate on physical AI technologies that combine robotics, sensing, materials science and intelligent systems. Partners will have access to the center's full range of facilities, including fabrication and rapid prototyping labs, electronics workstations, wet labs, high and low bay testing areas, a motion capture lab and a one acre outdoor test environment. Gov. Shapiro said the investment will connect CMU research with startups seeking to apply the technology in real world settings. CMU President Farnam Jahanian said the project will turn state investment into jobs and economic growth for Western Pennsylvania. The initiative is expected to create 150 jobs in its first year. Over the first three years, CMU anticipates attracting three major anchor firms to the region. The project will also engage more than 2,000 students across Pennsylvania in physical AI learning opportunities during its first two years.