California Forever, a visionary project aimed at creating a sustainable and walkable city, has announced plans for the Solano Foundry, a massive manufacturing park designed to attract top talent in hardware, engineering, and artificial intelligence. The news was announced by CEO Jan Sramek at the close of the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit on Thursday. The Solano Foundry will be a centerpiece of California Forever’s bold dreams. That ambitious blueprint includes plans for development of more than 175,000 homes in a master-planned, eco-friendly “utopian” city of the Future in Solano County, about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco.
Their ambitious smart manufacturing park would be the foundation of an innovative ecosystem, bringing together leaders from industry and a skilled workforce. A coalition of Silicon Valley billionaires—including Marc Andreessen’s family—fervently backs the project. Native digital or not, their shared dream is building a dynamic, creative worker-friendly environment that makes researchers and manufacturers want to flock there. This is our opportunity to become a centralized hub for these technology companies and talent. We’re moving beyond the old approach of putting manufacturing plants in remote, out-of-touch areas.
In announcing the move, Jan Sramek has highlighted the need for this strategic shift. He echoed his concerns for U.S. manufacturing. His illustrations drove home the message that we can no longer afford factories to be built at any random freeway exit in a rural area. The best and brightest don’t want to go work at the local DOT. What is perhaps most compelling about Solano Foundry is their focus on accessibility and community. This closely held vision is meant to attract and retain the talented workforce innovation requires.
The project’s announcement was prominently featured on California Forever’s website and various social media platforms, highlighting the organization’s commitment to transparency and community engagement. Sramek’s creative vision for the inclusive, walkable city goes well beyond a live-work-play residential development. It connects contemporary manufacturing to smart urban design.
As California Forever continues its work with Solano Foundry, it does so with the goal of changing the relationship between cities and industries. We’re focused on providing more diverse, livable, walkable communities. This new pattern of city growth underscores how important quality of life is to workers.
