Advanced Technology & Manufacturing is one of the six industry clusters identified in 2004 by Gov. Rick Perry as part of his long-term, strategic job creation plan. Each cluster was selected because of its powerful potential for future economic growth.
The Advanced Technology & Manufacturing cluster is made up of three subclusters: nanotechnology, semiconductors and automotive manufacturing. Texas' world-class universities and research facilities, highly trained workforce, strong government and private business support, and a thriving business climate make Texas a national and global leader in all three subclusters.
Nanotechnology
The science of very small things means big business in Texas. Nanotechnology involves the engineering of materials at the scale of atoms and molecules. Nanotech and its applications cross all six Texas industry clusters.
Texas is a global leader in nanotechnology R & D; is nationally ranked for nanotech-related activities including research, venture capital and commerlization; and has laid claim as the birthplace of nanotechnology. In 2006/2007, Small Times magazine ranked Texas sixth overall in its annual ranking of top 10 micro and nanotechnology states, fifth for innovation, and sixth for research. Major Texas nanotech employers include LynnTech Inc., Southern Clay Products, Applied Optoelectrics Inc., Zyvex Corporation and Molecular Imprints.
Semiconductors
Texas is the birthplace of the integrated circuit and has been a global leader in the semiconductor industry since the 1950s. Texas currently accounts for approximately 11.5 percent of the world's silicon processing capacity, according to the University of Texas at Austin's IC2 Institute. According to TechAmerica's (formerly AeA) Cyberstates 2010 report, the Lone Star State nationally ranked second for semiconductor manufacturing employment, overall high-tech employment, and high tech employment growth in 2008. Texas is home to one of the world's top five chip makers, Texas Instruments. Major Texas semiconductor employers include Samsung, Texas Instruments, Raytheon, Freescale Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices, and Applied Materials.
Dallas-based TI has been instrumental in many key semiconductor industry developments, including the late Jack Kilby's invention of the integrated circuit (IC) in 1958. Dr. Kilby went on to hold more than 60 patents, develop popular products like the pocket calculator, and win the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in the IC invention.
Texas Semiconductor Report
Texas Semiconductor Company Directory
Automotive Manufacturing
Texas is a major player in the automotive manufacturing marketplace and a top market for full-sized pick-up trucks and SUVs. The Lone Star State is nationally top-ranked for automotive employment and establishments, vehicle retail market size, and vehicle registrations. Texas is a right-to-work state with a well established automotive manufacturing marketplace that is experiencing continued growth, despite the economic downturn. The state is the single largest retail market for full-sized pickups, which is why some call it “Truck Country.” In 2009, an estimated one in seven full-sized pickups was sold in Texas and over one in five new vehicles registered in Texas were full-sized pickups.
Texas is part of the growing NAFTA-spurred automotive corridor and is home to two major automotive manufacturing assembly plants operated by GM and Toyota. GM has manufactured vehicles in Arlington for over 50 years. Toyota opened a new Toyota plant in San Antonio in 2006, and in 2009 announced that Tacoma pickups will move production from California to its San Antonio manufacturing facility. Toyota’s decision to locate and grow its business in Texas underscores not only the state’s importance as a large and growing truck market, but also the state’s strategic location between the growing automotive manufacturing centers in northeastern Mexico and the southern U.S. States. In addition to GM and Toyota, major Texas auto manufacturing employers include Peterbilt Motors, Navistar International, and BAE subsidiary Global Tactical Systems.
Texas Automotive Industry Report
Automotive Manufacturing Company Directory
