Five Cities That Might be the Next Silicon Valley

Most Tekkies are aware of the significance of California's Silicon Valley. The area has become a hub and haven for tech startup businesses that range from social media to new inventions that help to streamline communications, inventions for smart technology, AI inventions, new pharmacological treatments, automotive technology, and more. Thousands of cities share this dream of becoming the next Silicon Valley with an explosion of new startups that help to fuel the economy and create new and meaningful jobs in the workplace. It's a dream that is not that far out of reach for many. Several cities hold the potential for becoming the next phenomenon in the tech revolutions. Here are five cities to keep your eye on in the future.

5. Raleigh, North Carolina

Customer Think is eyeing a few cities with the potential to become the next Silicon Valley shortly. They see a high potential for Raleigh to become one of them. Raleigh is the Capital city in North Carolina that has a lot to offer tech professionals. The city has developed a unique economy that creates an environment that welcomes the development of new technology and research effort. The city is already home to some of the major tech businesses in the United States. Some of the businesses that call Raleigh home include Citrix ShareFile, Pendo, Cree, Inc, Lulu, and many others. These are established businesses within the tech industry and they serve to create a welcoming environment that is attractive to some of the best talents in the tech industry. Skilled technicians that are already working in the field offer the potential for branching out from their current positions and forming their own tech startups, which could potentially launch another explosion of tech startups that would create an environment that is much like Silicon Valley. A few supporting statistics that suggest this could happen are the average earning potential of $91,859 per year for tech jobs, a better standard of living, and a projected growth rate of approximately nine percent expected in Raleigh within the next four years. The stage is set for Raleigh to emulate Silicon Valley shortly.

4. Cambridge, Massachusetts

Surprisingly, Cambridge has not yet risen to the status of Silicon Valley. The city is the home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the esteemed and prestigious Havard University. It has the foundations in place with old and established institutions that focus on higher learning and the development of some of the most impressive technological advances of the age. The stage is set for Cambridge to experience an explosion of new startups in the tech industry with several major biotech companies calling it home. Biotech is a strong and thriving niche within the tech industry. Cambridge is home to Novartis, Genzyme, Biogen, and other major players in this area, and they're making some amazing discoveries thanks to their advanced research.

3. Austin Round Rock, Texas

Crawford Thomas sees the Austin-Round Rock, Texas region as one that has the potential to advance to Silicon Valley status in the not too distant future. There is already a tech base of notable size in the area that is referred to as "Silicon Hills" as a descriptive nickname that suggests it is already on its way there. This area is the home of Google, Facebook 3M, Dell, eBay, IBM, and a few others. It's one of the up and coming cities that has the potential for becoming another Silicon Valley. Proof of this is in the statistics that show there are more than 50,000 tech industry jobs open in the area.

2. Provo-Orem, Utah

Another top pick of Crawford Thomas is Provo, Utah and the surrounding area. There are already quite a few software companies headquartered in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. There is a steady stream of Brigham Young graduates flowing through the city, along with others graduating from Utah Valley University. The workforce in the area is highly educated, and this sets the stage for an explosion of new tech startups to throw their hats into the ring in the rise of the tech revolution. Provo is the chosen location for Google Fiber, and there are plenty of tech jobs opening up despite the heavy flow of recent college grads in the area. It could create a new influx of tech professionals who bring their ideas into the area. There are currently 8,750 open jobs in the IT industry alone in the Provo-Orem region. The top five tech jobs in the area are Technical Support, Python Developer, Field Technician, Software Engineer, and Net Developer.

4. Fort Collins, Loveland, Colorado

Fort Collins and Loveland is a large metropolitan area that has the potential for becoming the next Silicon Valley. With Colorado State a prominent institution in the community, the tech industry is on the receiving end of the benefits with the University's research facilities available. They're churning out graduates who are finding work at local big tech companies such as Hewlett Packard and Intel, which are both recent migrant companies that found the area attractive. There is ample room and a cordial environment for new startups in the tech industry to set up shop in the Fort Collins/Loveland area. It's expected that we'll soon see growth in the renewable energy niche of the tech industry. The most common tech jobs that are currently advertised in the area include Software Quality Assurance, Test Engineer, Lead Systems Programmer, Application Software Developer, and SQL Server Database Developer, with more diverse titles expected in the future.

5. Boston, Massachusetts

Built-In expects Boston to become one of the next cities to emulate the rampant explosion of tech startups seen in Silicon Valley. Boston is a city with historical significance, but it is very much a progressive area when it comes to technology. It serves as the capital city of the state of Massachusetts. It's also the largest city in the whole of New England. Boston has become the academic, historical, and cultural hub of the region. Impressively, its roots go back to 1630. Its the home of the Freedom Trail Fenway Park and the prestigious Harvard University. It's the perfect environment for tech to take hold and flourish.