Investor Watch: April 11, 2024

ONTARIO

Unilever Canada and FluidAI Medical invest in Toronto and Kitchener, respectively, in a megaregion CBRE calls a “powerhouse market” for tech talent.

NEW MEXICO

In a state that made the top 10 last year for inbound moves by residents, a growing number of international companies are among those investing in New Mexico’s largest city.

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The people come from different points of origin than the corporate investment. But are there states where high numbers of foreign-born individuals coincide with high numbers of foreign-sourced corporate facility investment?

Photo courtesy of Zeiss

This image of a Zeiss planetarium projector reminded us of our past coverage of the land they were born in: Jena, in Thuringia, Germany. Zeiss, which reported €10 billion in revenues in its most recent fiscal year, also operates successful medical technology and semiconductor manufacturing technology divisions. The company was founded in Jena 177 years ago and is currently pursuing a new €300 million high-tech site in the city. During a recent visit by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Dr. Karl Lamprecht, president and CEO of the ZEISS Group, said, “Through our high-tech site in Jena, one of the largest single investments in a construction project ever made by Zeiss, we are making it very clear that we are shaping the future and providing impetus for transformation.”

The nation’s capital saw the most tech job postings of any U.S. metro in March, says the latest CompTIA Tech Jobs Report.

Photo: Getty Images

CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce, early this month released its latest Tech Jobs Report, which analyzes U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. Technology companies added an estimated 6,000 workers last month, says the report, and technology occupations throughout the economy increased by 203,000 for the month. “Employers also added 191,000 new job postings for tech positions, an increase of 8,000 from the previous month and the highest volume since August 2023,” CompTIA reported. “In total, there were an estimated 438,000 active tech job postings in March.”

“With all four key tracking metrics in the positive for the month, it’s a welcome return to stability in the tech employment data,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA.

New York, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco had the highest volumes of job postings in March, the association said. Other metropolitan markets seeing notable month-over-month increases included Lansing, Providence, Hartford, Raleigh, Kansas City and Boise. “Projections indicate that 20 states and 14 metropolitan areas will exceed the average growth rate,” CompTIA said, with 26 metro markets expected to at least double last year’s job growth rate. “Tech sectors in 30 states generate $10 billion or more in direct economic impact,” a release stated.

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Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman

From Annapolis, Maryland, Northrop Grumman Corporation this week announced it had completed assembly of a full-size uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype known as Manta Ray. “A new class of UUV, it is an extra-large glider that will operate long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without need for on-site human logistics,” the company said. “Manta Ray was built through a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program aimed at advancing key technologies to benefit future UUV designs, including techniques to manage energy, increased payload capacity, low-power propulsion and more.” Site Selection’s Hampton Roads Intelligence Report explored another UUV being developed by Huntington Ingalls.