Texas Gov. Bill Clements was reacting to the news that Austin, the state capital and home of the University of Texas, has been picked as the site for a $1.5 billion advanced semiconductor research facility. State officials expect the project to provide a scientific boost to their ailing economy by offering employment to thousands and attracting new electronics firms to the region. Texas beat out 11 other finalists from an original list of 34 states, for the opportunity to help the struggling U.S. semiconductor industry combat the Japanese onslaught in microelectronics. Sematech is a consortium of 14 semiconductor manufacturing giants formed last May that expect to share the re- sults of cooperative research on advanced manufacturing techniques (see THE SCIENTIST November 2, 1987, p. 5).
A 45-person start-up team will move early next month into a 300,000-square-foot plant formerly owned by Data General Corp., according to Linda Baker, vice president ...
