Tag: attract
US State Governments Try Lavishing Subsidies to Attract Chip and EV Factories
Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas have made billion-dollar pledges for a microchip or EV plant, with more state-subsidized plant announcements by profitable automakers and semiconductor giants surely to come. States have long competed for big employers. But now they are floating more billion-dollar offers and offering record-high subsidies, lavishing companies with grants and low-interest loans, municipal road improvements, and breaks on taxes, real estate, power and water….
The projects come at a transformative time for the industries, with automakers investing heavily in electrification and chipmakers expanding production in the U.S. following pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that raised economic and national security concerns. One of the driving forces behind them are federal subsidies signed into law last summer that are meant to encourage companies to produce electric vehicles, EV batteries, and computer chips domestically. Another is that states are flush with cash thanks to inflation-juiced tax collections and federal pandemic relief subsidies. The number of big projects and the size of state subsidy packages are extraordinary, said Nathan Jensen, a University of Texas professor who researches government economic development strategies.
“It is kind of a Wild West moment,” Jensen said. “It’s wild money and every state seems to be in on it.”
Many of the companies drawing the biggest subsidy offers — such as Intel, Hyundai, Panasonic, Micron, Toyota, Ford and General Motors — are profitable and operate around the globe. Some lesser-known names in the nascent EV field are getting big offers too, such as Rivian, Volkswagen-backed Scout Motors and Vietnamese automaker VinFast. The subsidy offers are generally embraced by politicians from both major parties and the business elite, who point to promises of hundreds or thousands of jobs, massive investments in construction and equipment, and what they contend are immeasurable trickle-down benefits.
Still, academics who study such subsidies find them to be a waste of money and rarely decisive in a company’s choice of location.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
US Government Is Expanding Remote Work, Raising Pay To Attract Tech Employees – CNET
VinFast’s bid to attract US buyers includes 4 all-electric SUVs and maybe a sports car
VinFast showcased four battery-electric SUVs at the LA Auto Show this week, and even hinted at a sports car, as the Vietnam-based automaker pushes ahead with its plan to break into the U.S. market. The four EVs, which ranged in size from small five-passenger crossovers to large seven-passenger SUVs, is part of the company’s effort […]
VinFast’s bid to attract US buyers includes 4 all-electric SUVs and maybe a sports car by Abigail Bassett originally published on TechCrunch
Microsoft Flight Sim has doubled its players twice – and there’s a plan to attract even more users
The Xbox first-party games operation might be going through a painful period of ‘spinning up’ new development studios and integrating acquisitions, but while slower-moving in those areas, one key success has been reliably humming away in the background with impressive and enviable growth: Microsoft Flight Simulator.
At an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Flight Simulator – a milestone that reminds that this is Microsoft’s oldest-running franchise, outdating both Windows and Office by a handful of years, developers of the game hammered home its newfound success with a simple stat: Flight Simulator’s player-base has doubled. Twice.
To be specific, Flight Simulator has enjoyed a couple of launches. First it hit PC, and was met with critical acclaim and strong uptake. Later, it was released on Xbox Series X/S, a move which doubled its player base. Then earlier this year, the game was made xcloud compatible, rendering it playable on Xbox One, older-spec PCs, and even on mobile. This doubled the player base again.
Wendy Fortino and Camile Periat Offer Advice on How to Attract a Gym Crush
Africa’s tech talent accelerators attract students, VC funding as Big Tech comes calling
Tech giants are increasingly looking for tech talent in Africa, where the number of developers reached 716,000 last year, up 3.8% from 2020.
Africa’s tech talent accelerators attract students, VC funding as Big Tech comes calling by Annie Njanja originally published on TechCrunch
How start-ups and SMEs can attract fresh graduate talent
We spoke to university careers services and Enterprise Ireland to find out how SMEs can compete with big companies to find fresh talent to work for them.
Read more: How start-ups and SMEs can attract fresh graduate talent
How Can UK IT Companies Attract More Foreign Workers By Overcoming Language Barriers?
Joe Miller, general manager of the Americas and Europe at Pocketalk explores… Currently there is a large variety of…
The post How Can UK IT Companies Attract More Foreign Workers By Overcoming Language Barriers? appeared first on TechRound.
Adobe-Figma Deal Likely To Attract Antitrust Scrutiny
Why it matters: The Biden administration is on the record as wanting to beef up antitrust enforcement. The Figma deal, at $20 billion, is certainly large enough to grab the attention of regulators. The big question is whether they’ll conclude that suing to block it is a case they can win. Either the Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission could review the merger; both have taken a renewed interest in software and digital mergers.
Between the lines: The Clayton Antitrust Act says any acquisition that would reduce competition in an industry is illegal. Figma was founded as an Adobe competitor and has grown impressively by doing exactly that — implying there’s a case to be made that this acquisition is anti-competitive. Insofar as Adobe is already the dominant player in the space, any acquisition, let alone a $20 billion one, will be looked at carefully. “The fact that Adobe is not typically identified as a Big Tech platform should provide [Adobe and Figma] with little if any comfort,” Charles Rule, a partner at the Rule Garza Howley law firm and former DOJ antitrust official, tells Axios. “This deal appears to raise straightforward, traditional antitrust issues,” he says.
“There’s enough here to get a close look, and maybe a complaint,” adds a former FTC antitrust official. Another former FTC attorney tells Axios to expect a thorough initial investigation into possible overlaps.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.