Monday, June 30, 2003
In a huge win for Texas, Texas Instruments has chosen Telecom Corridor, just outside Dallas, for the location of its next major semiconductor manufacturing plant. The company said it considered locations in other states, as well as China.
A key element in the decision: The commitment of the state to millions of dollars of new funding for the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at Univeristy of Texas at Dallas.
State officials said TI received no direct aid from the state but that TI insisted on the funding for UT-Dallas. The state investment for the university includes $50 million from a new $295 million fund to attract jobs to Texas and $85 million toward the land and building for a new research center.
These are the types of incentives that make sense: even if the TI plant closes, the region will have a major new engineering program and a pool of trained engineers.
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Texas scores big in semiconductors
