Andrew Christiansen is KGUN 9's Catalina Foothills reporter. Send your story ideas to Andrew at andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com.
The University of Arizona's Center for Innovation and Pima County Economic Development traveled to Taiwan to meet with JSEDM — Jiann Sheng Machinery and Electric Industrial Co. — to explore how the company could expand its presence in Pima County.
JSEDM manufactures products used in the optics, semiconductors, aerospace, and defense industries.Casey Carrillo, Executive Director of the University of Arizona's Center for Innovation, said the partnership is focused on helping international companies understand the American market.'Our goal is to work with companies who already have success in their home country, really wanting to understand the U.S. market,' Carrillo said.Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, Pima County's Economic Development Director, said southern Arizona has a competitive advantage over the Phoenix metro area, which has seen significant semiconductor industry growth in recent years.'The Phoenix area might feel saturated right now with a lot of these types of companies,' Vescovi-Chiordi said. 'And so the competitive edge for us right now from a cost perspective is actually in our favor.'Linda Bixby, the University of Arizona's Chief Research Partnerships Officer, said bringing JSEDM and similar companies to the region will create opportunities beyond the semiconductor sector.'Having these type of companies come to southern Arizona is going to be providing job opportunities as well as supply chain opportunities for local businesses,' Bixby said.Carrillo said JSEDM is specifically looking to build relationships with companies in the optics space. 'They're looking for companies that are in the optics space to really grow and have these relationships so they can utilize their machinery,' Carrillo said.Bixby said the relationship with JSEDM could also serve as a gateway for other international companies to consider Southern Arizona. 'We are attracting other companies from Taiwan and from around the world and also helping in areas of start ups,' Bixby said.Vescovi-Chiordi said his trip to Taiwan helped him build relationships with government officials and business leaders that could lead to further expansion in Pima County.'There's so many other opportunities that we'll have there — research and development, manufacturing, clean and renewable energy,' Vescovi-Chiordi said. For residents who don't work in the semiconductor industry, Vescovi-Chiordi said the economic impact will still be tangible. 'They will see the benefits of these companies coming here in the roads that they drive on, in the parks that they have their kids play at, and in the schools that their kids are going to, so there will be a positive effect for everybody,' Vescovi-Chiordi said.The exact number of jobs JSEDM plans to bring to Pima County has not yet been determined, as the company is still analyzing the market.Next January, Bixby said the first cohort of 500 students from the University of Arizona's Talent and Innovation Hub will begin training in the semiconductor industry in the area. JSEDM is going to bring their machines over here in the Fall, Carrillo said, and the University of Arizona is going to partner them with student interns to focus on identifying customers and research.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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