First State Economic Development News + Notes - Issue 173
Let's Build Some Things
This week I waded through loads of articles focused on Silicon Valley’s new obsession with building actual things, summed up nicely in this quote from a bonus NY Times article:
Stacked up against ChatGPT’s ability to instantly transform any image into a Studio Ghibli cartoon, Instagram’s photo filters are practically Paleolithic. And the chatter is about not how you built your app with the HTML5 coding language, but how many H100 graphics cards — the highly coveted hardware for running A.I. programs — you can get your hands on.
Chatter like this makes me glad I never mastered Instagram’s photo filters—bring on the robot overlords!
Presenting the economic development news of the week:
In Delaware, TidalHealth breaks ground in Millsboro, AirJoule opens a Newark plant, DuPont looks to outmaneuver tariffs, Dollar General comes to Hartly, and the Czech Embassy celebrates the manufacture of Prusa 3D printers in Newark.
Elsewhere, AI infrastructure investments herald a tech economy focused on building real stuff, OpenAI releases GPT-5, manufacturing investment cools in the U.S., and a bill aims to reshore port crane manufacturing.
Delaware Econ Dev News
Taste of home brew leads to job heading county economic development | Cape Gazette
“‘He’s got business experience,’ Pfaff said. ‘He’s got finance experience. He’s a great listener, and he’s smart. I couldn’t ask for a better person to take this spot. The county is lucky that they got him. He’s going to work hard. He’s going to take this office to the next level.’”
Dollar General sets up shop in tiny Hartly, Delaware | Supermarket News
“A Dollar General Market opened last week in the state’s smallest incorporated town—home to just 78 people—right across the street from a Family Dollar that has been there since before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
TidalHealth breaks ground on Millsboro healthcare center | DE Business Now
“The groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction on the first of three planned buildings. Once completed in 18 to 24 months, the first structure will house a new TidalHealth Primary and Specialty Care office, diagnostic imaging, TidalHealth HomeScripts pharmacy, a TidalHealth FamilyLab, and additional outpatient services.”
AirJoule opens Newark plant with eyes hit the market in 2026 | DE Business Times
“The new 42,000 square-foot site will manufacture metal organic framework, or a porous material that can trap water at relatively low humidity levels. With its specific fabric and a dual vacuum chamber, AirJoule is able to capture water molecules from ambient air, recycling it as distilled water or dehumidified air.”
Chancery Court announces automated process for case assignments | DE Business Now
“The automated system, sometimes known as ‘wheel spin,’ came after a pilot program and software upgrade this year. The change drew praise from long-time Chancery Court critic Philip Shawe, CEO of TransPerfect and backer of a group known as Citizens for Judicial Fairness.”
Delaware City data center plans submitted, starting clock on controversial project | Spotlight Delaware
“The company proposing to build a massive and energy-hungry data center near the Delaware City Refinery submitted exploratory plans to New Castle County on Friday, officially starting the regulatory review of a proposal that has already drawn opposition from hundreds of people in the state.”
DuPont Says Tariff Maneuvers Are Paying Off | WSJ
“DuPont says the hit from tariffs won’t be as bad as it once feared, leading the materials maker to raise its outlook...’The majority of the reduction is related to supply-chain moves,’ DuPont Chief Executive Lori Koch said on Tuesday's earnings call. ‘We're able to move product around to avoid the tariffs.’”
National + International Notes
How AI Conquered the US Economy: A Visual FAQ | Derek Thompson
“So, what exactly is the artificial intelligence boom? How did it happen, where did all this money to build AI come from, who is using the technology, and is it making people more productive? Today…I’m going to try to walk through an FAQ with graphs to create a visual guide to the question: How big is the AI boom?”
Silicon Valley’s New Strategy: Move Slow and Build Things | WSJ
“Call it an ‘age of infrastructure,’ in which companies spend vast sums on actual stuff. Primarily that’s the gigantic data centers filled with tiny chips, and everything that connects and cools them, but it also includes factories, real estate and energy.”
OpenAI Unveils GPT-5, Its Latest and Most Powerful Model, After Two-Year Wait | WSJ
“Investors are betting that technology advances like GPT-5 will continue powering the startup’s growth and allow it to spearhead an economic transformation that is already well under way.”
Trump Pledged to Bring Back Manufacturing. The Sector Is Sputtering. | WSJ
“From March to July, U.S. manufacturing activity contracted, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s monthly survey. The Manufacturing PMI last registered at 48, below the 50 score that differentiates growth and decline.”
Congress eyes a tax credit for reshoring port crane manufacturing | Journal of Commerce
“Legislation that would provide tax credits for companies to build port cranes in the US has been introduced in the House of Representatives, the latest attempt to shift the manufacturing of logistics equipment away from China.”
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Troy Mix
mixedecon@gmail.com
Views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Delaware or the Institute for Public Administration.