Silicon Valley, Seattle, and other cities often are touted as the top cities for technology and innovation. However, a variety of cities, Dallas included, actually top the charts and beat out some of the aforementioned cities for their economies, digital cultures, and general focus on technological advancement. In fact, Dallas is currently ranked 13th of the top cities for innovation and technology. Moreover, the top-tier corporations that call Dallas home provide career opportunities for both newcomers and established career professionals alike, causing journalists to compare Dallas with the more renown San Francisco..
How Dallas continues to strive forward
Although many outside of Dallas might not know about the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA), this organization is comprised of industry leaders, and their singular focus is to nurture a significant number of residents to become the highest-engaged people in the country. What this means is as the DIA transforms Dallas into one of the premier smart cities in the country, Dallas residents, as a result of their engagement, will enjoy some of the highest qualities of life and access to opportunity. Simply put, by focusing on the people rather than the technology–by aligning the technology to the needs of the people–the DIA continues to transform Dallas into an increasingly popular innovative hub.
Focus on tomorrow’s technology
City, corporate, and cultural planners in Dallas are not simply focused on today’s technology. Instead, they are among the top cities to embrace tomorrow’s technology, such as fully autonomous vehicles. For instance, Uber is already making significant progress in transforming traditional highways into select maps for fully autonomous cars.
This focus on autonomous vehicles, however, is just the tip of the technological iceberg, so to speak. For instance, Dallas is already focusing on synthetic fuel, and in keeping with the aforementioned DIA, Dallas innovators are remaining focused on the people, helping to nurture young and old tech innovators as well as the upcoming workforce. As there is already an increasing skills deficit throughout the Midwest, Dallas is among the few cities being proactive and engaging the technologically minded to master and profit from tomorrow’s career-related technology.
Mastery of today’s technology
The caveat of focusing on tomorrow’s technology is that it might do so at the expense of the opportunities today’s technology already provides. That said, any entity focusing too much on today’s technology can find itself left behind like a sluggish dinosaur. The trick that Dallas has mastered is by attracting promising companies that serve as bridges between today and tomorrow. Today, they offer competitive jobs and opportunities while also focusing on developing talent, products, and services for tomorrow’s market. The result is a dynamic technological environment that is astonishingly rewarding to work in.
For instance, companies, such as Foot Cardigan deliver whimsical socks to your door every month. This might sound frivolous, but they are successfully testing the same process, for attire, that initially made Netflix a billion-dollar powerhouse. On the more serious side, Latern Pharma is making headway in cancer treatment by developing tech-based, bio-friendly delivery systems.
Why Dallas continues to attract top corporations and innovators
Location, location, location
Of course, the geographical location of this city does not hurt. In fact, it is one of the primary draws of people to Dallas, providing many ocean-side amenities for people to enjoy during their off hours.
Snowball market effect
The city’s focus on technology and innovation draws some of the most talented minds from across the country. In doing so, the salaries commanded by such talent become the new standard. This new standard rises again as other companies attempt to gain a foothold in a variety of increasingly competitive industries, all of which rely on technology to some degree or another. This rise in salary snowballs, and it also has a trickle-down effects, making the city one of the highest-paid cities in the country.
Personal and professional satisfaction
The technological focus in Dallas begins with people, and that focus, understandably ends with people as well. For instance, innovating current technology, creating jobs, and creating amenities work toward an overall greater sense of job satisfaction and personal fulfillment. Simply put, if you live in Dallas, you are likely to be happier than in any other place in the country. This is not hyperbole. In fact, out of 183 cities, Dallas ranks 68, placing it solidly in the top 37 percent of happy cities. That sort of testimonial kind of speaks for itself. It certainly explains why technological innovators, in general, are drifting toward Dallas.