After a year that has seen a national increase in focus on the multibillion-dollar semiconductor industry, Central Texas could maintain its position as a key chipmaking center for the U.S. and a regional economic driver.
Today, tiny semiconductor chips have a range of consumer, government and telecommunications uses and can be found in everything from toasters and cell phones to vehicles. Greater Austin has been a home to chipmakers since the 1970s, leading in part to its “Silicon Hills” moniker, and recent announcements led by more than $200 billion in potential investments by Samsung point to Central Texas as an influential industry hub.