Youngstown-Warren MSA is excellently located at the heart of the TechBelt Region. Encompassing Cleveland and Pittsburgh, the TechBelt region is defined as the metro areas of Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania to the north through Morgantown, West Virginia to the south.  With more than 7.2 million people, including a workforce of nearly 4 million, and the region supports 185,000 businesses.

The TechBelt region came about through its named initiative conveying the collaboration of multiple economic development agencies; federal, state and local government offices; technical groups; foundations; and private corporations. Recent investments in support programs, research, technology infrastructure and other assistance have created attractive opportunities for companies choosing to locate within the TechBelt.

The TechBelt Initiative targets two primary industry sectors, Life Sciences and Energy.
Within the area, there are more than 4,800 Life Sciences companies employing more than 88,000 workers . If hospitals are included, the numbers increase to more than 10,000 companies and nearly 300,000 employees. The initiative concentrates on three specific Life Science subsectors, regenerative medicine, medical imaging and medical devices.

The TechBelt region’s energy industry comprises more than 9,700 establishments that provide jobs for 166,000 people. The energy subsector focuses on traditional energy including coal, nuclear and gas; and emerging and efficiency, including wind, solar, fuel cell and high-performance building.

The TechBelt region attracts capital from regional and national investors. Overall, the combined region ranks 19th in capital invested in regional companies and 11th in the number of companies receiving capital.

Additionally, there are 18 Fortune 500 headquarters located within the area.