Companies seeking a growing knowledge economy workforce should consider sites that are positioned to provide access to knowledge workers in the coming years. The public institutions in the San Antonio Region have made several notable advancements to match strong population growth with research and educational opportunities. Within the San Antonio region, the community of Schertz provides a unique mix of available land, workforce availability and a brand of Texas-style business friendliness that make it a strong contender for long-term investments in advanced manufacturing and technology.
The institutional advancements signaling the most opportunity include The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) attained the prestigious Carnegie R1 status. This elite Tier 1 status is the highest designation to be received for research universities. UTSA has been on a fast track to excellence since its inception in 1969 and joined multiple Texas universities in securing the Tier 1 designation.
“Tier 1 Research universities are unique in their ability to be regionally transformative enabling direct outcomes such as attracting students, research faculty, an increasingly educated workforce, and increased research expenditures with an associated increase in university patents and invention disclosures,” said Bijo Mathew, Director of UTSA SBDC Technology Commercialization Center. “The outcomes or spillover effects are enabled through knowledge diffusion, attraction and growth of innovative entrepreneurial ventures and institutions, advanced manufacturing industries and increased access to capital to accelerate regional economic development,” added Mathew.
As a result, we can expect to see new research and career development opportunities for graduate students, faculty, and alumni as more grants are awarded to UTSA. There are currently over 150 doctoral programs at UTSA that will continue to create a pipeline of doctoral students. This will establish the groundwork for a regional ecosystem with innovations, a talented workforce, and accelerate the economic development of south and central Texas.
Schertz is situated along IH-35 and IH-10 offering existing and prospective businesses and industries with the best in access and higher education and skills training opportunities. The Schertz industrial park provides access to the most highly educated knowledge workers in the region within a thirty-minute drive. There are few areas that compare in terms of access to the most educated populations in the region, available property for development and growing industrial space options.
The map above shows the concentration of Masters Degrees by Zip Code, with the municipal boundaries of Schertz outlined in red. This illustrates the proximity of Schertz to the most educated populations in the region. Coupled with a pro-business environment and exceptional quality of life, Schertz is an attractive community to relocate, expand or start a new business. Fortune 500 companies who have located or expanded in Schertz include Amazon, Caterpillar among others are a testament to the strengths of Schertz.
A growing knowledge economy and the many contributions of UTSA places the SATX region and Schertz in a strong position for economic development opportunities. As companies consider the region, Schertz stands out as an ideal location for advanced manufacturing and other industries seeking a growing knowledge economy workforce.