Atlanta's rise to the top as a leader in technology

When it comes to economic development, Georgia has found great success throughout the entire state. From voestalpine Automotive Body Parts in Bartow County, to Farmax Merchandise in Crisp County and everywhere in between – our state continues to create quality opportunities for all Georgian's.
At the heart of our state is Atlanta. Atlanta touts incredible connectivity through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a top-notch quality of life and some of the nation's top educational institutes.

There are several reasons why Georgia continues to lead in key sectors - and our state capital is following suit, as Atlanta rises as a leader in technology. Recently, Forbes named Atlanta one of 5 U.S. Cities Poised to Become Tomorrow's Tech Meccas. Noting that 'Atlanta's total tech jobs have grown by 46.7 percent since 2010 — almost 20 percentage points above the national average.' We all should be proud of our achievements in the technology sector. There are 17,000 technology companies – representing an economic impact of $113.1 billion in Georgia. Furthermore, we have the fifth largest IT employment cluster in U.S. (200,000 high-tech professionals).

Most recently, Realtor.com ranked Atlanta the No. 2 'Next Top Tech Town.' Another incredible win for the state. According to the ranking, 'The city pulls talent from top-notch schools like Georgia Tech to feed its long list of Fortune 500 companies. The fertile Southern soil has generated nearly 2,000 tech companies.' Here at the Georgia Department of Economic Development – we take a very integrated approach to economic development whether it is through traditional business, entertainment, tourism, arts, trade workforce and beyond – technology is always at the forefront of everything we do. We work closely with the colleges and universities throughout the state as they are major player in the success of our technology industry. This is a testament to our commitment to not only supporting the technology sector in Georgia, but also creating an educated and prepared workforce who can meet the growing demands of this industry.

Atlanta has positioned itself as a leader in technology, and we look forward to supporting the growth of existing industries as well as welcoming even more companies to Georgia.