In the heart of North Louisiana, a powerful collaboration between higher education and industry is set to transform the region’s economic landscape and shape the future of defense technology.
The collaborators are: Louisiana Tech University, Radiance Technologies, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the City of Ruston, and the Louisiana Tech University Foundation. The project: a major expansion of Radiance Technologies, a leading defense contractor serving the Department of Defense, the national intelligence community, and other government agencies.
In August 2025, Governor Jeff Landry, LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Congresswoman Julia Letlow, Louisiana Tech University President Jim Henderson, Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker, and Radiance Technologies CEO Bill Bailey announced a secure microchip packaging facility focused on advancing national security and fueling innovation in Ruston.
The new 40,000-square-foot production facility, which will house research and development, design, and fabrication operations for microelectronics, will be located in Ruston’s Secure Business Park and constructed by Bulldog Microchips, LLC, a subsidiary of Louisiana Tech University Foundation. Upon completion of the facility, Radiance Technologies is anticipated to create 150 new jobs with an annual payroll of nearly $13 million in the next decade.
A longtime partner of the University, Radiance is a tenant company in Louisiana Tech’s Innovation Enterprise and leverages the benefits of this initiative, including access to faculty expertise and talent pipeline services, as it develops innovative solutions for defense, intelligence, and civilian customers’ advanced challenges.
“Manufacturing secure microchips in Ruston expands this region’s broad commitment to supporting national security and the Department of Defense,” Tech President Jim Henderson said. “This facility is the manifestation of Louisiana Tech’s longstanding reputation as an innovator in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and microelectronics. Our faculty will continue to play a significant role in Radiance’s research and development, our students will benefit from more experiential learning opportunities, and our graduates will provide the highly skilled workforce.”
This packaging facility marks the Huntsville-based company’s latest expansion into North Louisiana — a place Radiance Technologies CEO Bill Bailey once called home.
After joining the Air Force in 1979, Bailey was assigned as a B-52G crew chief at Barksdale Air Force Base and began taking classes at Tech Barksdale. At the end of his first enlistment, the Air Force transferred Bailey to Tech on a full scholarship. He earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1987 and was commissioned in the USAF as a research and development engineer after graduation.
Since joining Radiance in 2001, Bailey has grown the company, establishing the company’s expertise in directed energy, cyber operations, artificial intelligence, space technologies, and more.
“We’re thrilled to expand Radiance’s footprint in Ruston and throughout North Louisiana,” said Bailey. “This partnership is a win-win opportunity that will benefit Radiance, LA Tech, Ruston, and the entire state.”
Bailey was also instrumental in Radiance establishing a strategic partnership with Tech 15 years ago.
“We’re trying to build an ecosystem here, and this facility is the first step,” said Bailey. “We’re focusing on the ability to manufacture while also building out research and development, engineering, and solutions development to support secure microelectronics for the Department of Defense.”
Bailey believes that this first step in constructing the state-of-the-art facility will also serve to bring additional companies to Ruston, where they can take advantage of the University’s resources, talent, and skilled workforce as well as the state’s incentives for technology companies.
“This is an important milestone that will not only create value but transform this region and University,” said Bailey.
To support the project, LED — whose focus is strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant economy — is providing $20 million in matching dollars through a performance-based grant to the Louisiana Tech University Foundation for the purchase of equipment at the new manufacturing facility.
In addition, LED plans to partner with the University for a multi-institutional workforce development initiative.
“Louisiana Tech’s exceptional engineering and science programs, combined with strengths across a wide range of academic programs, make us an ideal partner for Radiance’s research and development focus,” said Dave Norris, CEO of the Louisiana Tech University Foundation and senior vice president of Innovation and Advancement.
The University Foundation played a pivotal role in facilitating the agreement, working to align the interests of public and private stakeholders to ensure long-term impact.
“The Louisiana Tech Foundation is proud to lead the effort bringing together such a transformational partnership around our University and one of the nation’s leading commercial defense companies,” said Norris.
As a component of the University’s Innovation and Advancement Division established in 2024, the Foundation is committed to fostering innovation and economic development through strategic investment.
“This engagement is one of the many ways our Foundation is expanding its reach and impact to seize the extraordinary opportunities in support of the vision and mission of Louisiana Tech University,” said Norris.
The facility will be transformative for the region, drawing talent from across the country and reinforcing North Louisiana’s strategic importance in national defense and technology. Through this initiative, the University will further enhance its research initiatives, expand experiential learning, and strengthen its role as an economic driver.
“We’re honored by the trust being placed in us and recognize what makes this region truly special,” Bailey said. “We look forward to contributing to this community’s continued growth and success.”
With construction expected to begin in spring 2026, this expanded collaboration between Louisiana Tech and Radiance Technologies represents a new era of innovation — one defined by endless opportunities and transformative potential.