The AUSTIN INDEX tracks the most recent changes in Austin's economy and places the city's experience as a high-tech center in a comparative context. Using a series of social, environmental, and economic indicators, the Index contrasts Austin's performance with that of other selected US high-tech regions and selected Texas Cybercities. Among the site's unique features is a customized definition of the high-tech industry that uses the NAICS system. Employment data are included to highlight the strength of Austin's three core economic clusters (computer & peripherals, semiconductors & electronics, and software). Employment data measure the health of more traditional economic sectors such as government, manufacturing, and retail trade, providing a benchmarking model for other technology regions. The Bureau of Business Research welcomes your feedback, comments, and suggestions regarding the AUSTIN INDEX.

Methodology for the Selection of Areas Included in the Austin Index

The Bureau of Business Research developed the Austin Index in the year 2000 as a pilot project to benchmark the Austin economy. The strategy was to start walking before we run. It is a pilot project in three senses: the limited number of indicators that we use, the limited number of benchmarked US high-tech regions and selected Texas Cybercities, and the focus in the development of the website:

For simplicity, we followed the Brookings Institution's[1] approach and selected high-tech metropolitan areas for comparison based on the frequency with which they are mentioned in both the popular and academic literature. In addition to Austin, we included the two most frequently studied centers of high technology, Silicon Valley (San Jose PMSA) and Route 128 (Boston PMSA), as well as one smaller but fast-growing high-tech center, Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham MSA). In later phases of this project, other high-tech regions will be added to the Austin Index. We have also included quarterly or monthly data for Austin and four other major Texas Cybercities (metropolitan areas) in our project. The goal is to provide data that can be used to compare recent activity in those Cybercities to Austin.

In the beginning we limited our analysis to a small group of indicators. Recently, we have expanded the number of indicators presented in the Index.

Our efforts have been focused on developing the website for the Austin Index. However, many other complementary activities to the Index will be implemented. Echeverri-Carroll and Wright outlined these initiatives in an article in the June 2003 Texas Business Review.

[1]The Brookings Institution. 2001. High Tech Specialization: A Comparison of High Technology Centers. Washington, DC: Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy