Listen: Minnesota companies once dominated the supercomputer industry. What happened?

The Curious Minnesota podcast discusses the Minnesota companies that built some of the fastest computers in the world.

December 30, 2022 at 12:52PM
Workers assembled computer parts at Univac — then known as Sperry Univac — in 1977. (File photo/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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Like in flour and lumber milling, Minnesota companies once dominated the field of supercomputing. Firms like Univac, Control Data and Cray Research built some of the fastest computers in the world. But their success didn't last, despite the growth of the computer industry overall.

Evan Ramstad joins host Eric Roper on the Curious Minnesota podcast to discuss the origins of these companies, and why they faded from the spotlight.

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about the writer

about the writer

Eric Roper

Curious Minnesota Editor

Eric Roper oversees Curious Minnesota, the Minnesota Star Tribune's community reporting project fueled by great reader questions. He also hosts the Curious Minnesota podcast.

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