Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones appears to be trying to make good on her campaign promise to bring high-paying jobs to San Antonio.
On Thursday, the first-term mayor joined other city and county leaders in meeting with high-ranking officials representing Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The gathering at Pearl dining spot Best Quality Daughter included representatives of Taiwanese chip manufacturers, including Foxconn, along with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, City Manager Erik Walsh and other local leaders.
“San Antonio had a job to do: show our Taiwanese guests that San Antonio is ready and willing to partner on advanced manufacturing opportunities, especially in the areas of electric vehicles and drones,” Jones said in a statement. “I’m proud to share that Team San Antonio — leaders from our business community, research institutions, and academia — hit it out of the park. I’m looking forward to next steps to capitalize on the momentum we’ve created.”
The Lone Star State has positioned itself as the national leader in semiconductor chip manufacturing — an electronic component found in computers, smartphones and cars — since the signing of the 2022 bipartisan CHIPS Act.
Indeed, Texas has become the go-to state for Asian manufacturers looking to establish U.S. operations, thanks to the Texas CHIPS Act, which allocates state subsidies to semiconductor producers in addition to federal subsidies.
Although other Texas metros, including Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, have reaped the benefits of these subsidies, San Antonio has yet to secure one of the coveted factories since the CHIPS Act’s passage.
It’s still early in the game, since this is Jones’ first meeting with the delegation. However, landing a semiconductor chip plant in San Antonio would be an economic shot in the arm.
For example, senior directors at Samsung’s Austin semiconductor factory earn nearly $300,000 per year, while other entry-level jobs start at $25 per hour, according to employment website glassdoor.
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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 2, 2025.