Excerpts from recent editorials:
Toledo Blade, January 23, 2022, on Ohio’s a mile marker on information superhighway:
Good news on the information superhighway for Ohio.
Ohio snagged a major project that ensures the state’s foothold in the technology industry. Ohio isn’t Silicon Valley. Ohio is the heartland, and often the heartland gets overlooked or simply doesn’t have the logistical means to support certain high tech manufacturers.
Intel, though, found Ohio to their liking and plans to build two chip factories near Columbus — it’s part of the company’s aim to increase their production of semiconductors.
That’s not only good news for Columbus — it’s good news for the whole state. The factories mean a $20 billion investment by Intel and that investment will create many jobs. It’s estimated as many as 3,000 people could be working at the plants. That’s not counting the jobs created by construction and related activities. The long–term future could contain expansion plans, company officials said. The firm also said they’ll work with educational institutions to ready workers for the plants.
Ohio and Intel should work hard to prepare displaced pandemic employees, and those who have lost jobs in basic industries, into these jobs.
A combination of fortuitous circumstances, not always based on fortunate realities, drove Intel’s desire to increase production.
Anyone who’s tried to buy a computer in the past few months knows about the chip shortage. A lot of those chips get made overseas. Well, the supply chain broke, like many other supply chains. All over the world, a chip shortage resulted — and we’re not talking about snack foods. Added to coronavirus–induced shortages was a national security and economic concern. With more and more chips produced in Asia what happens to the United States if we rely on foreign manufacturers?
It’s easy enough to figure out the answer as tensions between countries in
the region grow and U.S.-China relations fray.
Nowadays, a lot of work folks do depends on chips and semiconductors. The industry is in a strong position for growth since the worldwide economy continues to grow despite temporary setbacks. Even basic industries like steel and auto manufacturing, depend heavily on computers — and computers and robots need chips. No chips mean plant shutdowns and no work.
Ohio won the business over dozens of competitors. Yes, the state offered tax breaks, as did most of the other states in competition. Ohio won and will win from billions in revenue produced by the factory and its employees.
Success breeds success, and Ohio can move forward in the quest for added high-tech industry.
