Silicon shire

In 2012 the Eugene, Oregon, metro area of the United States was dubbed the Silicon Shire.[1][2][3][4] Like many regions that have taken on Silicon-themed names,[5] the Silicon Shire is home to a thriving technology sector.[6][7][8][9] In 2015, the region's rapid growth led to Eugene being named one of "The Next Top 10 Cities For Tech Jobs" by Fast Company magazine.[10]

Silicon Shire logo
The logo of the Silicon Shire region.

There are more than 400 companies in the Silicon Shire region, employing more than 4,570 people with an annual payroll of about $296 million.[11] Key factors in the region's growth are the presence of higher education, a high quality of life, a low cost environment, and technological advancements.[12] The region is home to the largest game developer cluster in Oregon,[13] and also is the location of Symantec's third largest site in the world.[14] In addition to technology, the region also boasts a significant healthcare sector as well as food processing, craft breweries, and small-scale agriculture.[15] Regional companies have developed partnerships with local school districts to advance STEM education in the region.[16]

In 2013, companies from the region organized an event at the University of Oregon which gave students and faculty a chance to mingle with representatives from local tech firms.[17] In early 2015, companies from the region partnered with an international advocacy group for mobile app developers to host an event featuring speakers including Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter Defazio.[11][18] Later that year, Alaska Airlines obtained a federal Small Community Air Service Development grant to establish a direct route connecting the region to Silicon Valley.[19]

In 2016, the City of Eugene, the Eugene Water and Electric Board, and the Lane Council of Governments partnered to construct a municipally-owned fiber network called EUGNet.[20][21] The development of this network and the region's well established tech sector were key factors that led to Eugene being named a "Gigabit City" by the Mozilla Foundation in early 2017.[22][23][24] Mozilla offered $150,000 in grants to regional organizations to fund a range of technology projects focused on making technology in the region more inclusive and engaging.[25]

In early 2018, the Silicon Shire region was featured in an article in WIRED Magazine.[26]

See also

References
  1. KMTR Silicon Shire. 24 January 2014 – via YouTube.
  2. "Eugene's Silicon Shire: The tech (and beer) are better here". Goodreads. 11 November 2013.
  3. "OEN Talks with Silicon Shire Visionary Cale Bruckner". Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. 19 September 2012.
  4. "EUGENE 2.0". ETHOS Magazine. 15 April 2015.
  5. "Silicon America: A Map of Tech Hubs in the United States". StateTech Magazine. 8 November 2013.
  6. Sinclair Broadcast Group (11 February 2013). "Silicon Shire: 'Eugene is a real hub for tech companies'". KVAL.
  7. "Tech firms take off". The Register-Guard. 2 February 2014.
  8. "Eugene-Springfield companies network on Silicon Shire website". Oregon Business. 10 December 2012.
  9. "City Club of Eugene: What You Need To Know About The Tech Industry In Eugene". KLCC Radio. 4 December 2017.
  10. "The Next Top 10 Cities For Tech Jobs". Fast Company. 13 July 2015.
  11. "App developers meeting today on UO campus". The Register-Guard. 25 August 2015.
  12. "State Representative Nancy Nathason - September-October 2014". Oregon Legislature.
  13. "Building a gaming community fueled by Oregon talent". Portland Business Journal. 21 June 2017.
  14. "Relocation". Travel Lane County.
  15. "Heart of the Silicon Shire". Business in Focus. 19 September 2014.
  16. "Application Narrative" (PDF). Oregon Department of Education. 12 March 2014.
  17. "Silicon Shire connects faculty and students with local tech industry". University of Oregon. 28 February 2013.
  18. "Eugene Startup Community Draws Widespread Praise". The ACT Blog. 10 September 2015.
  19. "Connecting the Silicon Shire to the Silicon Valley". City of Eugene, OR. 10 November 2015.
  20. "City of Eugene Community Broadband Strategic Plan" (PDF). EUGnet.org. 27 August 2013.
  21. "High Speed Broadband Fiber". City of Eugene, OR. 17 March 2017.
  22. "Mozilla selects Eugene as next Gigabit City" (PDF). Lane Workforce Partnership. 14 March 2017.
  23. "A Public-Private Partnership for Gigabit Innovation and Internet Health". The Mozilla Blog. 14 March 2017.
  24. "Eugene's "Silicon Shire" : No Orcs Here". Community Networks Blog. 24 March 2017.
  25. "'Gigabit City' title to speed collaboration in Eugene". The Register-Guard. 15 March 2017.
  26. "Everyone Hates Silicon Valley, Except Its Imitators". WIRED Magazine. 3 February 2018.
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