Leaders from the SMU-led Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub in Dallas sought to line up new opportunities for collaboration by sharing their vision Thursday with more than 100 companies and academia in Taiwan.
Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub is a regional consortium charged with growing the regional economy and strengthening U.S. production of semiconductor chips and products.
“The semiconductor industry is a major driver for global technological advancement, and the strategic vision of the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub for workforce development and commercialization will have regional, national, and global significance,” Suku Nair, SMU vice provost for research and chief innovation officer and one of the leaders of the Tech Hub, said in a statement.
Pitching to the global semiconductor leader
The Tech Hub was invited by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the American Institute in Taiwan, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office to speak to Taiwanese tech investors and partners who have expressed an interest in investing in the United States’ semiconductor industry.
SMU said the event was part of the SelectUSA program led by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which focuses on facilitating job-creating business investment into the U.S. and raising awareness of the critical role of economic development.
Local Tech hub consortium members made their presentations remotely to the representatives attending the meeting in Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
The meeting of tech investors was organized by the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-sponsored private, nonprofit corporation.
SMU noted that Taiwan is a major global hub for building these semiconductor chips—the brains behind our “smart” electronics—with companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company leading the way.
Advantages of the Texoma region
An alliance with Taiwanese companies could be a boon for the United States—especially the 29 North Texas and Southern Oklahoma counties which are the focus of Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub, SMU said.
Texoma Tech Hub’s strategic location, incorporating the burgeoning North Texas semiconductor industry in Dallas and Sherman, and situated within a few hours’ drive of other major tech hubs such as Austin and Oklahoma City, is seen as an advantage.
Proximity to major metropolitan areas, combined with the region’s lower cost of living and business-friendly environment, makes North Texas an attractive destination for tech companies looking to expand or relocate, SMU said.
“The Texoma region is full of high-tech business opportunities providing a sustainable workforce, resources and innovation environments. The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub mission aligns perfectly with SelectUSA to bring jobs and investment to enrich economic growth,” said J.-C. Chiao, a Tech Hub leader who is the Mary and Richard Templeton Centennial Chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering.
Chiao made his presentation Thursday to the potential Taiwanese investors and company leaders in both English and Mandarin, SMU said.
A representative from Tech Hub consortium member GlobalWafers America spoke about the company’s experience in building a production facility in Sherman.
One of 31 Tech Hubs
The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub is one of 31 across the country announced in October 2023. It applied in February to receive up to $75 million in funding through the CHIPS and Science Act.
The consortium of more than 50 members from private industry, local governments, colleges and universities, tribal communities, workforce development and nonprofit organizations expects to hear this summer if it has been approved for the U.S. Department of Commerce funding.
The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub is the only Tech Hub designation in Texas.
Under the leadership of the SMU Office of Research and Innovation, The Texoma Tech Hub was organized by Nair; Jennifer Dworak, professor and associate chair of electrical and computer engineering at Lyle; Scott Douglas, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Lyle; Chiao; David Griffith, professor of business administration at Austin College; Steve Guengerich, associate vice president of innovation and commercialization at UT Dallas and Brian Post, senior director of advanced technology initiatives for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
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