Well, plenty of manufacturing doesn't require state of the art. Start with that level today, and you can still use it a decade from now for products that don't require bleeding edge.

Take chip fab for example: 45nm chips appeared around 2008, and cutting edge today is 5nm. Yet something like an arduino may come in around 200nm, the Pi 4 is still 28nm. So there's a fairly long lifespan for manufacturing facilities. Some will retool for the latest tech sure, but plenty will simply pivot to a different market niche commensurate with their capabilities.

They said they were going to make a chip fab in Kenosha?

I was using that as an example of manufacturing capabilities that are not worthless as soon as something better comes along. It's a clearer example than more vague references to electronics that aren't as complex or cutting edge as the latest smart phones. That comparison is true as well, but I thought something more concrete would make the point more clearly.

Yes. This investment made no sense. The state would have gotten a better deal by just hiring people directly.

That's what I'm thinking too. The only way you can salvage this is by canceling the contract with Foxconn and buying the empty buildings at rock bottom prices and grant funding to local startups who are allowed to use the buildings for a low price. At a minimum this would replace the fake jobs with real ones.

Good luck with that. Startups aren't chasing real estate. Gov Cuomo sunk a load of money trying to build a startup hub in western new york and it didn't work at all.