Is Texas really a serious rival to California as a destination for high-tech? The growing exodus of banner companies -– Oracle Corp., Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co., Tesla Inc.'s Space-X and others -– suggests that there’s something to the idea. Still, skeptics rightly point out that plenty of other places have made a bid to become the new Silicon Valley and never come close.
Texas, though, may be different, and not because of the recent high-profile relocations. Unlike other would-be innovation hubs, the state has been quietly nurturing high-tech industry for decades. If Texas eventually rivals California, the consequences could be momentous,