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To most high-tech enthusiasts, towns like Akron, Albany, Batesville, Malmö, and Eindhoven probably don’t hold much significance. Yet, while the world is busy watching Silicon Valley, these relatively obscure spots in the US and Europe are quietly building the infrastructure for innovation ecosystems that will drive the next technological revolutions.

Batesville, are you kidding? Nope. In 2008 General Electric opened a state-of-the-art jet engine component factory in the small Mississippi town, followed by another one in Ellisville in 2013. The reason? Both towns are close to technical universities stocked with researchers that specialize in new materials for the next-generation ultralight and silent jet engines. This partnership is crucial for innovation. As GE CEO Jeff Immelt wrote in the Harvard Business Review, “By partnering with Mississippi State University, we have developed a highly sophisticated proprietary process for manufacturing components made of carbon-fiber composites.”

Albany’s story is even more impressive. New York state’s capital has grown into one of the world’s leading producers of next-generation semiconductors. In Albany’s proud NanoTech Complex, companies like IBM, GlobalFoundries, Intel, Nikon, and Samsung are working together on developing the 450 millimeter silicon wafer, a breakthrough innovation in chip technology. Partnering with the University at Albany, the NanoTech Complex secured $4.4 billion in investments to make it one of the leading chip innovation centers in the world.

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