On the 8th (local time), after a 30-minute drive from Reno (Tahoe) Airport in Nevada, passing through Sparks by car, Tesla's Gigafactory rose over the vast desert. It is a Smart Factory that produces electric vehicle core components such as battery cells and modules under one roof, and the factory building combined with planned development land totals about 930,000㎡ (about 280,000 pyeong). The industry cites it as a model of innovation in automobile manufacturing.
About a 10-minute drive from here. Google's data center, Apple's battery production facility, and Panasonic's logistics facility came into view. Nearby was land Microsoft purchased to build a data center. The global technology corporation Switch Inc.'s Citadel Campus (the largest data center in the United States) was also close. All are located in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. More than 100 corporations, including big tech, have set up factories here. This is the current look of northern Nevada, which has emerged as a "technology hub."
◇ "Four hours by car to Silicon Valley"... Even tax breaks
Reno and Sparks, the representative cities of northern Nevada, are somewhat less known to Koreans than Las Vegas. Thanks to legalized casino businesses, they served as tourist cities for a long time, but over the past decade related industries have gradually declined.
Ironically, the winds of change were brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. As housing and grocery costs soared in neighboring California, more people flowed into northern Nevada. More than 2,000 technology corporations also transferred to Reno.
According to the regional economic analysis (EPIC) report by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), the population of the five main northern Nevada counties (Washoe, Storey, Lyon, Douglas, Carson) increased from about 644,000 in 2019 to about 687,000 in 2023, up about 54,470 (8.6%).
It is interpreted that a combination of factors—such as industry diversification into advanced manufacturing and tech, logistics and distribution, and the activation of remote work—has influenced the population increase.
Statistics also confirm that Reno has established itself as a city of corporations. According to the Milken Institute's 2025 Best-Performing Cities report, Reno's average annual growth rate in the technology industry is 12%. That far exceeds the U.S. average of 8%. It also ranked 16th nationwide in high-tech industry diversification and 41st in high-tech industry concentration.
Candi Block, EDAWN's director of entrepreneurship development, said, "Operating expenses and living costs are 13%–30% lower than in Silicon Valley, and it also has the geographical advantage of being a four-hour drive away," and emphasized, "From a Start - Up standpoint, it's a very good location where you can access all the resources of the Bay Area without having to live there."
Exempting all income, corporate, and franchise taxes is also an attractive factor for corporations. Nevada ranked seventh nationwide in the 2024 State Business Tax Index, earning a reputation as a business-friendly state. Expenses across business operations—startup, regulation, licensing, and annual fees—are low, and procedures for establishing a corporation are streamlined.
California, by contrast, is notorious for "high taxes." Corporations are subject to a corporate tax rate of 8.84%, and banks and financial institutions are subject to 10.84%. Income tax applies a nine-bracket progressive tax rate from 1% to 12.3%. Franchise tax is exempt in the first year of business but imposes a minimum tax of $800. Even if a corporation receives tax relief, the state also operates an alternative minimum tax (AMT) that applies a minimum tax of 6.65%.
Kim Seong-hun, managing attorney at Mission Law, emphasized, "In fact, for early Start - Ups, sales are not large, so industrial connectivity should be weighed more than tax issues."
Kim said, "Tesla started its tech in Silicon Valley but built its factory in Reno," adding, "From a manufacturing perspective, such as the electric vehicle battery supply chain cluster, the 'industrial base' is solid. At the same time, if you want to secure institutional conveniences as well, (Reno) is a suitable place to do business."
◇ EVs and clean energy designated as "strategic industries"... Courting Korean Start - Ups
The active corporate attraction efforts of the state government and EDAWN are also indispensable to Reno's growth background. Early on, the state designated seven fields, including ▲ electric vehicles (EV) and clean energy ▲ advanced manufacturing ▲ tech ecosystem and data centers, as strategic industries, and focused on attracting related corporations.
Recently, it has been eager to attract Korean Start - Ups. On the 8th (local time), holding the "Nevada Gateway program" in Reno's Midtown was a prime example.
In attendance were not only the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and EDWAN as U.S. organizers, but also academic and research institutions such as the Nevada Center for Applied Research (NCAR) and the Desert Research Institute (DRI). On the Korean side, Mediontech, Genexine, and Pacemakers participated as organizers.
At the event, Tom burms, GOED's executive director (managing director), warmly welcomed global Start - Up accelerators (AC) from Korea and Start - Up leaders seeking to enter the United States. "One of our goals is to reach talented people regardless of where they live," he said, adding, "If they are talent and corporations from friendly countries like Korea, we welcome them with open arms."
According to the state government, there are still no Korean corporations that have entered northern Nevada. Song Gi-seon, CEO of Maze, an AI-related corporation that participated in the program, said, "It was impressive to see government agencies sharing with each other and creating synergy. At least if we do business in Reno, I felt we wouldn't be stressed by administrative issues."
The Nevada state government will send a trade mission to Korea next month to hold briefings. Director Tom said, "From Nov. 14 to 22, we will visit Seoul and Tokyo in turn. Expectations are high." The mission plans to seek practical cooperation opportunities with corporations and research institutions.
The local Korean community is also proactive. Professors from the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) Nevada chapter have decided to provide science and technology mentoring to Korean corporations entering Reno. They also plan to serve as a bridge between the science and technology communities of both countries.
Yun Ki-ung, a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) journalism school, said, "Reno is a city that does not exclude people from outside, with strong absorptive capacity and inclusiveness," adding, "We will do our best to help Korean corporations entering the northern Nevada region."