The Hidden Tech Powerhouse: Why Centre County’s ‘Sensor Valley’ Is a Bet on the Future
The ground is shifting beneath us.
Across the country—and here in Centre County—longstanding assumptions about population growth, job security, and economic identity are being challenged. Our population has been slowly declining since 2018. Outside of Penn State, fewer than 50,000 households remain. Automation, AI, and remote work are rewriting the rules of employment.
In the midst of all this uncertainty, it’s fair to ask: What’s next? What do we have that the future needs?
The answer may be hiding in plain sight.
Why “Why?” May Be the Most Powerful Question in Happy Valley Right Now
What if the most transformative thing we could do for our businesses, institutions, and community wasn’t a major investment or groundbreaking technology?
Happy Valley’s Education Remix: Where Credentials Now Count More Than Degrees
Happy Valley has long been defined by the academic heft of Penn State and the natural charm of Central PA. But the region’s educational DNA is evolving. As national trust in four-year degrees wanes, a new model is gaining traction—one that prioritizes credentials, adaptability, and workforce alignment.
The Rise of the Shop Class Ninjas: CPI and the Hands-On Revolution
A quiet revolution is underway in Central Pennsylvania—and it’s happening not in lecture halls, but in welding booths, nursing labs, and HVAC classrooms. At the forefront of this transformation is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI).
HappyValley Industry: From Newsletter to Town Hall—And You are Invited
The collapse of local journalism is not hypothetical. It is history.
Since 2005, more than 2,900 newspapers in the U.S. have shut down. Entire counties now go without a single local outlet. And even those that “went digital” often chased scale, clicks, and trends—losing their connection to the people they once served.
Where Have You Gone, Haller, Raymond, and Brown?
As industries evolve and technology advances, who will build the companies that shape the next era of job growth?
What Say Thee?
Best of this week’s reader comments.
A vision for “Sensor Valley”: Central PA Sensor Technology Cluster Event
On December 4, 2024, the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in downtown State College hosted the inaugural Central PA Sensor Technology Cluster event, gathering industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and economic development experts to showcase the region’s growing sensor technology industry. The event, organized by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA, Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC), SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG), and Penn State’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, served as a rallying call to position Central PA as the “Sensor Valley” of the United States.
Chemcut: A Pennsylvania Pioneer in Precision Metal Etching for 57 Years
Rick Lies, CEO of State-College based Chemcut, explains how the company uses its “wet processing” equipment to cater to a wide range of clients and how work done at its research center, machine shop and mold shop can be customized to the customer’s needs.
