As the progress of the semiconductor industry’s expansion gains more steam, suppliers and other businesses that provide materials and services for the industry’s leaders are looking for land for new operations. The northern reaches of Phoenix and other locations in the metro area with large tracks of open terrain are drawing the interest of these companies. Professor Kyle Squires, dean of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, sees the industry’s major direct suppliers and other businesses critical to the supply chain for semiconductor materials driving the rush to find suitable spaces for setting up shop. Companies using chips made by large manufacturers like TSMC and Intel also want to locate close to these facilities, Squires says. He envisions all of these factors combining to open the way for the evolution of a creative nexus of the workforce skills, manufacturing capabilities, and research that will ignite innovation and catalyze more growth in the future. (Access to the full content of the Phoenix Business Journal is available only to subscribers.)