The integrated circuit, the frozen margarita, the indoor mall were all
borne of North Texas innovation. A pioneering spirit has always been a
hallmark of North Texas, from the brave souls who settled and tamed
the wild prairie to the pioneers of today, who explore never-beforeseen opportunities in worlds vast, new and unknown. Is it in the water?
Local business leaders point to something much bigger: a spirit of can-do
innovation that permeates a region laden with resources and unafraid to
take the risks and reap the rewards.
I
nnovation has existed in North Texas since its settling. But in looking for “big” innovations (what
Texan doesn’t like big?), one has to think small.
Very small.
It’s been 55 years since the invention of the integrated circuit, a hallmark of Texas Instruments, the
technology innovator that has been impacting the
world for more than 80 years. Few companies can
match the record of advancements from the creative
minds at Texas Instruments, inventions that include
such world-changing technology as the first integrated
circuit and the first electronic handheld calculator.
But a sense of humility, combined with an eagerness to experiment with just about anything, makes
for a uniquely Texan approach to invention. North
Texans often don’t even realize themselves how monumental a thing this is. Even seven years after introducing the world to the integrated circuit, Jack Kilby
shrugged off his invention, predicting, “It won’t be
that big a deal in the long term.” Fifty years later, we
know better. It continues to touch our lives daily, often subtly but usually profoundly. The integrated cir