For expanding and relocating companies, human capital is almost always the No. 1 issue, especially for those companies in the knowledge-based sectors. And it’s human capital — a highly trained work force — that puts the Austin, Texas, metro on the shortlist for many expansion projects.

Whether it is a semiconductor wafer manufacturing company, software developer or research and development, the Austin metro has the diverse, highly qualified and readily available work force that companies desire.

The metro is home to eight colleges and universities, with top-notch academic programs and a total enrollment of more than 114,000 students. Some 40.2 percent of adults in the city of Austin and 36.7 percent of adults in the metro hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree. The University of Texas (UT) has programs in bioengineering, computer science, engineering, business, nanotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical research.

UT’s associated programs include the Austin Technology Incubator, IC2 and the Office of Technology Commercialization, and Austin Community College offers customized work force training for employers.

The metro also has one of the best quality of life environments in the country, especially for a young professional work force.

These location advantages are why a number of the world’s leading high-tech companies are siting expansion projects in the Austin metro.

Borland Software Corp. is one example. The company is relocating its corporate headquarters to Austin, moving from Cupertino, Calif. The company plans to expand its existing Austin R&D center with the relocation of the finance, human resources, facilities, IT and sales operations functions.

“We are making this move to take advantage of an area that combines a strong talent pool with a cost-effective environment, so that we can continue to execute our plan to profitability,” said Tod Nielsen, president and CEO of the company.

Borland anticipates the relocation of its headquarters to be complete by the end of the year.

Global companies also find their way to Austin. South Korea-based KoMiCo Ltd., a semiconductor company, announced its plans to begin operations in Round Rock in the Austin metro this year. The move is intended to help KoMiCo effectively service its U.S. customers, according to the company. KoMiCo also has a facility in San Jose, Calif.

“Our Round Rock facility will allow KoMiCo to actively cope with customer needs, such as quality improvement, delivery time reduction and an improved working environment,” said Seon-Kyu Jeon, CEO of the company.

The company will employ a work force of between 100 and 120 in Austin, and it plans to be fully operational by the end of the year.

According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the decision by KoMiCo shows the ongoing growth of the semiconductor industry, particularly after the announcement by Samsung in April 2006 to build a next-generation wafer fab facility in the metro.

Music technology company Thumtronics Inc., based in Australia, selected the metro over Silicon Valley, Calif., Seattle and Boston as the choice for its new headquarters facility.

Many experts say that Thumtronics’ products, still in development, could be the next big thing in the music industry. These products include a new electronic musical instrument, the Thummer™, and a new approach to displaying musical information, the ThumMusic™ System.

Thumtronics’ products have the potential to make music easier to learn, more expressive and more multi-cultural, and its Web site features supporting quotes from musicians, music educators, university researchers and musical instrument retailers, according to the company.

Even business school academics lend their support, saying that Thumtronics’ products’ simplicity and power give them the potential to grow the $30 billion musical instrument and music lesson industries.

Thumtronics estimates it will have up to 400 employees in the next five years. The company is relocating its headquarters operations from Perth, Western Australia.

“To bring our products to market, we needed to relocate to a city that understood computing technology, like Austin,” said Jim Plamondon, CEO of Thumtronics. “We also needed a city that understood the cultural and economic power of music, and there, Austin stood alone.”

Plamondon said that he was impressed by Austin’s enthusiasm for Thumtronics’ innovations.

“Everyone was upbeat and positive about Thumtronics’ fit with Austin,” he pointed out. “I can hardly imagine a more welcoming community. I look forward to involving Austin’s musicians, music educators, music industry veterans and angel investors in Thumtronics.”

Joe Holt, chair of Opportunity Austin, the Austin Chamber’s five year initiative to create 72,000 jobs, and chairman of JPMorgan Chase-Austin, said the metro area’s ability to attract innovative foreign companies like Thumtronics highlights the convergence of the creative and technology industries.

On a broader scale, it also indicates Austin’s ability to attract expanding companies in all industries and the highly trained work force needed to fill jobs in those companies, he said.