The Forty Acres gets 68 more: UT gifted land to establish campus near Samsung

The University of Texas has been gifted 68 acres near the site of the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. factory in Taylor. Officials said the land will be used for an educational center that's expected to support Taylor's growing semiconductor ecosystem.

UT announced on May 10 that the undeveloped land, located along U.S. 79 adjacent to Taylor High School, will be turned into "The University of Texas at Austin - Taylor Center." The land was given to UT by the Temple College at Taylor Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by Taylor residents nearly three decades ago to foster opportunities for higher education in the city.

Officials said in an announcement that the university plans to work with the Taylor community, industry partners and campus leaders to determine the best use of the site and to "grow and support Central Texas' semiconductor workforce supply chain." They also said proximity to the Samsung facility makes it a natural fit for UT initiatives, including the Texas Institute for Electronics, which is considering using the site for training and research with semiconductor partners.

The precise educational opportunities at the planned center aren't yet clear, but they said it won't be a mini-campus with liberal arts offerings. More likely, it will include collaboration with local community college Temple College and potentially provide space for a master's program in semiconductor engineering or research in that field, as well as to promote workforce development through partnerships with K-12 students in Taylor and workforce groups.

"Advancing innovation, growing education and cultivating leadership in the semiconductor space is a major area of focus for The University of Texas, and we are excited to have a presence in the burgeoning Taylor community and the opportunity to further shape the expanding footprint of the semiconductor ecosystem in Central Texas," UT President Jay Hartzell said in a statement. "We are grateful to the Temple College at Taylor Foundation for welcoming UT into its vision for educational and economic opportunity in the region and to the city of Taylor for its commitment to supporting one of the nation’s most critical needs."

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University of Texas at Austin

During a May 9 meeting of the Taylor City Council, representatives of the Temple College at Taylor Foundation expressed excitement about the announcement, saying their goal of bringing higher education to the city is finally coming to fruition after plenty of disappointments in the past.

"This would be not happening for Temple College at Taylor had this City Council not brought Samsung to Taylor," said James Bartosh, president of the foundation and a UT alumnus, during the meeting. "Now, look how so quickly it parlayed into a wonderful educational opportunity for everybody in the greater Taylor area."

Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell added in a statement that "UT’s presence in our vibrant, growing community will provide even more opportunities for future generations and help solidify the city’s place as a center for progress and enrichment in Williamson County and the state of Texas.”

The planned facility is part of a wave of development fueled by the Samsung factory in Taylor, about 40 miles northeast of Austin. The South Korean electronics giant is well underway on the first pieces of one of the largest economic development projects in U.S. history. Samsung's project will result in a full-service production facility, thousands of direct and indirect jobs, $45 billion of capital investment in Central Texas and transformation of the small city of 17,000 people.

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Samsung Austin Semiconductor

The company's plans have spurred a large number of ancillary projects, including housing, mixed-use developments and more. UT — which has played a key role in the semiconductor industry dating back to the 1980s, when Austin first earned the nickname "Silicon Hills" — will now be a part of it.

During the last legislative session, Texas lawmakers approved $552 million for the Texas Institute for Electronics to help better position the region to compete for CHIPS and Science Act funding from the federal government. Some of the state money has been used to refurbish existing fabrication plants at the original Sematech site on Montopolis Drive and at UT’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus on Burnet Road, officials said.

“If UT can change the world with Forty Acres, one can only imagine the impact the University can make with our gift of 68 acres,” Louis Hughes, a board member of the Temple College at Taylor Foundation and UT alumnus, said in a statement, referring to UT's nickname.

Last month, it was announced that Samsung is receiving $6.4 billion through the federal CHIPS and Science Act, which is supporting the company's plan to to widen its investment in Central Texas to $45 billion.