Pittsburgh weekly roundup: US Steel-Nippon deal finalized; New hub for defense contracting; McCormick and Trump at AI Energy Summit

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This week in Pittsburgh, why data centers are making headlines, a new CEO at the ARM Institute and more.

Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

• Nippon Steel officially acquired US Steel this morning for $14.9 billion. The deal means US Steel will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh, Nippon will invest another $11 billion into the company’s facilities through 2028 and the US government will be given “consent rights” to make decisions on select matters. [WESA/Technical.ly]

• Pittsburgh already receives a majority of its federal funding from defense contracts. Now, Walnut Capital and Fort Pitt LLC are teaming up to build a 6,000-square-foot Secure Innovation Center in Bakery Square to help the region apply for more defense funding. [Technical.ly/PGH Biz Times]

• Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman proposed legislation last week to relocate the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to Pittsburgh. Soon after, McCormick announced President Donald Trump would attend his AI Energy Summit at Carnegie Mellon University on July 15. [Press release/Axios]

• The Pennsylvania state House voted Tuesday to commit nearly $300 million of tax money to public transit agencies. If the funding is not approved by the Senate, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will have to make reductions to nearly 90% of its bus routes starting early next year. [WESA/Technical.ly]

• Premier Automation, a local industrial automation company, announced the launch of its new Innovation Hub in Westmoreland County last week. The facility will be used to expand the company’s operations and launch new companies focused on AI and manufacturing automation. [PGH Tech Council]

• A new SEC filing shows Lovelace AI secured nearly $16.2 million from investors, likely related to its recent seed round. The company now holds a pre-money valuation of $28.6 million, per PitchBook. [Technical.ly]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• If you’re looking to casually connect with people who are interested in technology and entrepreneurship, attend the weekly Friday meetup of Technically Coffee (no affiliation!) on June 20 or the weekly Saturday meetup of Pitch and Run PGH on June 21. [More info here and here] 

• The Anvil Founder Coaching Program, a free training program for Pittsburgh founders, is hosting a showcase at Avenu: Meyran on June 24 where the public can celebrate and connect with the founders who have completed the program. [Attend]

• What’s Your Business Idea? is back on June 25, but this time it’s happening downtown at Dentons Cohen and Grigsby’s office in the EQT Plaza. It’s a great opportunity to pitch your startup idea and receive helpful feedback. [Register]

• The Pittsburgh Robotics Network is hosting an intimate panel discussion on June 26 about commercializing physical AI and why so many autonomous robots don’t make it to market. [Get a ticket]

• Are you a business owner committed to making sustainable choices that benefit your local community? The Good Business Network, the Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network and the Energy Efficiency Alliance want to meet you at the Sustainable Business Happy Hour on June 26 at Lolev Beer in Lawrenceville. [More info]