Building & designing tomorrow's products

Some of the world’s most advanced products are designed and/or made and assembled here. The region supports manufacturers through a geo-central location in a business-friendly state, low tax burden, no state income tax, and living costs at the national average.

Fueled by Austin’s young, highly trained workforce and partnerships between the region’s higher education institutions and the private sector, Austin is a leader in semiconductor and electronics R&D and manufacturing.

Fueled by Austin’s young, highly trained workforce and partnerships between the region’s higher education institutions and the private sector, Austin is a leader in semiconductor and electronics R&D and manufacturing. The region has also seen growth in diverse sectors including automotive technology, medical devices, nanotechnology, and aerospace manufacturing, as well as a rebounding of general manufacturing since the 2009 recession.

The Austin Regional Manufacturing Association, founded in 2013, works to insure that manufacturing remains among the most productive contributors to the regional economy through advocacy, workforce development, and networking.

Total manufacturing employment in the region is at 70,000 in 2022, up by 23 percent from 2012. Of the region's 1,900 manufacturers, over 500 are in high tech sectors. High-tech manufacturing currently represents 63 percent of the region’s manufacturing employment.

Innovation is a key export for the Austin high-tech economy.

• Austin inventors were awarded nearly 4,400 patents in 2022.
• According U.S. Patent and Trademark Office data on 2005-2015 patent activity in 366 U.S. metros, Austin ranks 11th for total patents awarded and among the 50 largest metros, Austin ranks third for per capita patent activity.
• A 2021 National Science Foundation report ranks Austin 12th for R&D performed by business.
• Additionally, the University of Texas at Austin consistently ranks among the top research universities in the country with $780 million in research expenditures annually.

Spurred by average annual population growth of 3.0% and a favorable business climate, the Austin region is ready to be considered a location for general and advanced manufacturing projects. The five-county metro area includes several communities with freeport tax exemption on goods in production and transit and also a Foreign Trade Zone framework which allows streamlined site activation.

Many of the top computer and microchip firms have established major design and production centers in Austin. Austin is home to Samsung’s largest semiconductor production center outside of Korea, to which a new R&D center was recently added. Singapore-based contract electronics manufacturer Flextronics recently expanded its footprint in Central Texas for production of Apple’s new Mac Pro.