If high-tech business is the future, where can you go to find its center? Surprisingly enough … Delaware. Living up to its nickname as a “Small Wonder,” the second-smallest state ranks big in its share of high-tech businesses, according to National Science Foundation statistics published in The Atlantic.
Part of the mid-Atlantic tech-corridor that includes Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC, Delaware’s economy is heavily focused on science and engineering. Not only is it home to chemical manufacturer DuPont, it also leads the nation in its number of private high-tech firms.
The ranking is part of a larger NSF study assessing the science and technology sector in the U.S. Businesses employing twice the average number of scientists, engineers and technicians were classified as “high-tech” — a description encompassing dozens of diverse industries, from heavy machinery manufacturing and oil and gas extraction to pharmaceuticals and software design.
States topping the list for their percentage of high-tech business establishments include:
1. Delaware
2. Colorado
3. Virginia
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey
6. Massachusetts
7. California
8. Nevada
9. Utah
10. Texas
Diversified technology is one of the biggest commonalities among these top states. New Jersey, for example, boasts a multifaceted tech sector with industries ranging from pharmaceutical and medical technology to biotech and information technology.
Pharma, Biotech Powerhouse
Known as the “Medicine Chest of the World,” the Garden State is home to 17 of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, including household names like Bayer HealthCare, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and Merck, and employs 131,000 workers in the $29.3 billion industry. New Jersey’s $3.2 billion biotech industry includes 30 publicly traded companies that collectively employ 184,000 scientists and 400,000 engineers. With one of the most extensive metro optic networks in the world and a high concentration of talent, the region is also becoming a hotbed for information technology companies like Verizon and IDT.
New Jersey’s high-tech industries are bolstered by a statewide trove of resources, including incentive programs, cutting-edge university research assets, incubators and world-class technology centers.
Tech Growing in Texas
Technology is also becoming a growing part of the Texas economy, which is home to about 49,419 high-tech firms and burgeoning aerospace, biotech and information technology clusters.
Companies like Lockheed Martin, Bell Aerospace, Raytheon, Boeing and Gulfstream Aerospace have set up shop in the state, which employs 200,000 aerospace and aviation workers. Texas is also emerging as a global biotech leader, with more than 4,100 public and private companies and 104,000 workers in the $75 billion sector. The Lone Star State’s IT industry has also taken off, thanks to the strong track record of big names like Dell and Texas Instruments and support from the state’s Emerging Technology Fund.
Heard of a little game called Words With Friends? It’s currently the world’s No. 1 mobile game application — and it was started by a company in Texas, home to the second-largest concentration of game software development.
We want to know what you think. Do you agree with these high-tech rankings? Where are some other places you see high-tech growth happening — and what can states do to attract more of it?
