The semiconductor industry is one of the biggest employers in the Austin area. Whether you’re an established company looking to expand or a young entrepreneur who’s just starting out, there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. These resources include the Texas Tech University System, the Austin Technology Incubator and the IC2 Institute.
Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor is one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies. It provides chips for top global manufacturers in the industrial, automotive and networking industries. This company is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The company has more than 18,000 employees worldwide, with 5,000 in Central Texas. According to the company’s website, Freescale Semiconductor’s products include embedded processors, microcontrollers, sensors, and connectivity devices.
Freescale’s main business is in the manufacturing of hardware and chips for the automotive and networking industries. In addition, Freescale provides embedded semiconductors for other markets, including wireless, industrial and consumer.
Freescale Semiconductor has a manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. This plant is located at 6501 W. William Cannon Drive. Freescale’s parent company is Motorola Inc., which is owned by the Carlyle Group. Before the acquisition, Freescale was part of Motorola for more than 50 years. Now, Freescale is preparing to be independent.
Pecan Street Festival
The Pecan Street Festival, which occurs on 6th Street in Downtown Austin, is a well-run and well-attended biannual event. It is a quaint event that features live music and vendors, as well as fun family activities.
It is held on the first weekend of May. During this time, the festival closes more than 20 blocks of the downtown area. In addition to the main street, the festival includes numerous other attractions. These include an interactive children’s area, a petting zoo, a food court, a costume contest, and a variety of live music.
One of the more impressive aspects of the festival is its green credentials. Since 2009, the organization has used biodiesel fuel for its generators. Also, the festival uses chemical-free port-o-potties. Not only is the Pecan Street Festival a good time, it also contributes a lot of money to local non-profits. For example, the Austin Parks & Recreation and Health Alliance for Austin Musicians have both received funds from the event.
Austin Technology Incubator
The semiconductor industry has been a driving force behind the high-tech boom in Austin. A number of large companies have headquartered in the city. In addition to the major names in the field, including Samsung, AMD, Applied Materials, and Intel, there are many other smaller companies based in Austin.
The growth of the semiconductor sector has been an important part of Austin’s economic development in the past decade. Companies such as Tivoli Systems, which helps computers connect over the Internet, employ nearly 1,600 people in the city.
A number of other large technology firms have relocated to Austin as well. IBM, the world’s largest computer company, has a large manufacturing plant in the city. Other companies with their headquarters in Austin include Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
CHIPS Act
The CHIPS Act for Semiconductor Industry Austin is a bipartisan piece of legislation that will encourage and facilitate U.S. chip production. One of the main goals of the act is to develop a workforce for the chip industry. The NSTC will provide a public-private partnership that will coordinate ongoing recruitment efforts.
Another objective of the act is to encourage semiconductor research and development. This is accomplished through tax credits and other incentives. Besides tax credits, the act includes billions of dollars in funding for scientific research.
As the demand for semiconductors continues to rise, there is a growing need for increased production capacity. It is estimated that semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the U.S. has fallen behind industry giants in Asia.
In order to address these challenges, President Biden signed a piece of legislation that will make substantial improvements to the chip industry. It aims to create thousands of jobs by boosting domestic semiconductor production.
IC2 Institute
Austin, Texas has a long and distinguished history. Although it isn’t a Silicon Valley, it does have the benefit of having a relatively low cost of living, an array of universities and a vibrant technology sector.
When the semiconductor industry first hit the scene, Austin was in a good position to seize the opportunity. As a result, it had a rich pool of business talent from surrounding universities. Those talents were harnessed by the IC2 Institute and its offspring, the Austin Technology Incubator.
The IC2 Institute was founded at the University of Texas at Austin and is the brainchild of former Teledyne Technologies co-founder George Kozmetsky. Its offspring is the Austin Technology Incubator, which provides funding and assistance to start-ups and entrepreneurship. This program won the Technology Transfer Society’s 1996 Justin Morrill Award.
