Tucson’s technology sector sees growth, provides jobs

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) will be expanding in Tucson, and it is expected to provide high-paying jobs in years to come.

TI is a semiconductor design and manufacturing company that powers electronics through analog and embedded processing products.

“Texas Instruments recently purchased land at 301 South Williams Blvd. in Tucson, Arizona, where we plan to build a new semiconductor design center,” Nicole Bernard, TI corporate public relations, said. “Construction is expected to begin in early 2019, with the new office projected to open in the fall of 2020.”

The City of Tucson explained the company “plans to add 35 jobs within the next five years that will pay average salaries of $143,000 and have an overall economic impact of $68 million over that time.”

The city stated the total capital investment of the 125,000 square-foot design center “is projected at a little more than $29 million.”

Bernard said the company will hire based on demand and as positions open up. “With plans for the new facility, Texas Instrument has been approved for the City of Tucson’s Primary Jobs Incentive Program, which will be awarded based on hiring over the next five years,” Bernard said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona’s unemployment has dropped by 6.5 percentage points since Nov. 2009. With projects like TI’s center development in Tucson, the state’s unemployment rate may continue to decrease.

Since TI and Tucson’s relationship began, it has contributed more than just jobs to the city’s community. “Texas Instruments has had a longstanding history of operating, volunteering and contributing to the community since our entry into Tucson with the acquisition of Burr Brown in 2000,” said Bernard.

The city is no stranger to the technology sector as its economic climate has “attracted a number of technology” firms, according to the Tucson Bike Share Feasibility Study, Community Analysis. The study explained the area near the Tucson International Airport and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base attract technology-based companies.