Georgia Earns No. 1 Tech Hub Ranking from Business Facilities Magazine
It was announced today that Georgia’s capital city of Atlanta earned the No. 1 Tech Hub spot by Business Facilities Magazine, featured in the publication’s annual 2020 Rankings Report.
Over the last few years, Georgia has significantly increased our technology-based industry sectors including cybersecurity, FinTech, data centers and health IT. Aside from the details that make strong selling points, such as our state’s skilled talent, pro-business environment, and investment in technology through education and infrastructure, it’s the relationships we’ve built with companies large and small that fill us with pride.
From Fortune 500 companies like NCR with its headquarters in Atlanta, or Global Payments in Columbus – to newly launched gaming businesses like Amebous Labs from a Georgia Tech graduate who wanted to stay in the esports capital, these investments are a testament to how we value our partners in every part of the tech business.
These are just a few of the reasons why Georgia has become a technology leader.
In recent months, Fortune 500 company Microsoft Corp., a worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions, announced they will open a new facility in Atlanta, anticipated in summer 2021. The $75 million investment will create 1,500 new high-tech jobs in West Midtown, and the company is actively recruiting talent to add to their team. The company has since announced that it is strengthening its ties with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and that it’s launching an Atlanta-based cohort for their Microsoft Leap Apprenticeship program. These steps are developing the next generation of diverse talent while deepening Microsoft’s commitment to the community.
Further the city is actively supporting further tech development. As the writer notes, “Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta offer innovation programs such as Students2Startups, the Atlanta International Startup Exchange and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI).”
Today’s ranking is fresh evidence of this rapidly expanding sector in the state.
Earlier this summer, Governor Kemp announced that Perspecta Inc. (PRSP), a leading U.S. government services provider, is opening a regional office at the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta. This investment will bring 178 jobs to Richmond County and the surrounding area in support of the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) at Fort Gordon.
The pipeline of talent filling these needs is in large part due to the eight nationally ranked cyber institutes across the state with CAE-R or CAE-CD designations and numerous cyber research centers. Roughly 160,000 people work in cyber-related industries in Georgia, and more than 41,000 students are currently enrolled in cyber-related majors in the University and Technical College Systems of Georgia. Georgia’s skilled workforce and continued investment in tech have attracted more than 115 cybersecurity industries to Georgia, generating more than $5 billion annually.
Georgia’s ability to attract tech talent is no accident, and as part of Atlanta’s overall workforce, the tech talent labor pool is significantly higher than the national average.
In 2018, the Georgia FinTech Academy was officially launched. This collaborative talent development program between the state’s FinTech industry and the University System of Georgia gives students specialized educational experiences needed to enter the FinTech sector regardless of where they live in the state or the college they attend.
Today, tech clusters are thriving across the state. We offer an affordable lifestyle, and Atlanta has been termed a ‘brain gain’ market by CBRE. COVID-19 has proven that our tech sector is more important than ever, and we are continuing to work with innovative companies from FinTech to health IT to ensure they understand everything Georgia offers.
As we continue to emerge from these challenging times, we’re confident that Georgia will remain a leader in innovation and technology attracting new companies and top tech talent to our beautiful state.
The 16th annual Rankings Report is the featured cover story in the July/August issue of Business Facilities Magazine. To view the 2020 Rankings Report, click here.
--Posted July 29, Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce, Scott McMurray