SMU is leading a regional effort to attract semiconductor production to North Texas and southern Oklahoma. "Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub" includes 41 local governments and organizations that work in education, workforce training and economic development and is the only federally recognized tech hub in Texas.
In the next month, Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub will submit grant proposals for up to $75 million to the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration.
"This project is something we've been very excited about mainly because of the opportunity it provides to make a real difference in a very difficult area. That is trying to make sure the strength of this country is undergirded by the strength of our education system and businesses," says SMU President Gerald Turner.
Members of Congress from both parties attended a conference about semiconductor production at SMU Thursday. They say the tech hub would benefit the economies of North Texas and southern Oklahoma but would also lessen American dependence on Taiwan for semiconductors.
"Your efforts have secured not only a major victory for Texas as we strengthen the semiconductor industry across the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but for our nation as well," Senator Ted Cruz said in a video during the conference.
Congressman Marc Veasey, a Democrat, says the threat of China taking military action in Taiwan highlights the importance of producing more semiconductors domestically.
"Our nation's standing in the world really depends on how we take innovation around this particular area seriously," Veasey says.
Congressman Jake Ellzey, a Republican, compared the need for semiconductors to domestic production of oil, saying an increased need for connectivity has become a matter of national security.
"You remember in the 80s when it was all about oil? World security depended on oil," he says. "World security still depends on oil, but modern life depends on advanced semiconductors."
While the group said domestic semiconductor production has become important to national security, they say establishing a tech hub in North Texas will also help the region's economy.
"Texas has always been a leader in innovation and the good jobs that come with it," says Congressman Colin Allred, a Democrat.
"Texas leads the nation in job creation, and it comes as no surprise a Texas university was chosen to lead this groundbreaking initiative," Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, said in a video.
Cornyn helped pass legislation in 2022 that provided $52 billion in subsidies for domestic semiconductor manufacturers.
"The [Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub] will shape the future of the Texoma region, creating good jobs and supercharging our state's economy for generations to come," he said in the video.
More information about the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub can be found at https://www.texomatechhub.org/.
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