Why Oregon
Oregon has long been known for its physical beauty and quality of life, as well as its natural resource-based industries. Oregon also has a long history of manufacturing intensity in primary and fabricated metals, transportation equipment, and electronic measurement instrumentation, with a “high-tech” sector going back to the 1940s - having roots in forest radio communications, military shipbuilding and precision forest products manufacturing.
Oregon’s “Silicon Forest” grew from being a great location for manufacturing expansion out of Silicon Valley in the 1970s to become the home of the world’s most advanced “small tech” (nanoelectronics, MEMS, microfluidics) industrial research and development sites by the middle of the 1990s.
It therefore made perfect sense that Oregon’s first Signature Research Center would be in the field of nanoscience and microtechnologies, and that a vibrant partnership would form between Oregon’s research universities and the nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratory—the largest research institution north of San Francisco and west of Chicago.
These world-class technology assets, a spirit of pioneer collaboration and can-do pragmatism, in a positive, affordable business climate are making Oregon the location of choice for leading technology firms, innovative startup companies, and investors.
The ONAMI community stands at the nexus of fundamental research, the latest industrial manufacturing technology, and a focused approach to innovation-based economic development. We invite you to take a closer look at one of the nation’s deepest talent pools and collaborative communities.
Oregon is home to:
- Two Nobel science laureates Linus Pauling, Carl Wieman—with three prizes between them
- The world’s first 32nm semiconductor production and leading 22nm development facility Intel Corporation, Hillsboro
- The world’s best selling consumer and business inkjet printing technologies Hewlett-Packard Co, Corvallis; Xerox Corporation, Wilsonville
- The world’s first sub-angstrom electron microscope development FEI Company, Hillsboro
- The world’s leading selection particles-based products (quantum dots, microspheres) for life science and other applications Life Technologies/Invitrogen, Eugene
- The world’s most advanced laser micromachining equipment and solutions ESI, Portland
- North America’s larges photovoltaics production facility Solarworld, Hillsboro
- The 2010 National Cleantech Open Grand Prize winner Puralytics, Beaverton
