Traditional manufacturing jobs helped build this country, and were vitally important in the growth of southcentral Kentucky.

But tech, not sweat, is the driver of most of the high-paying jobs of the future that benefit a community in myriad ways.

That’s why we are heartened by some recent business announcements on that front.

Last week, Hong Kong-based tech company BeingAI announced plans to open its U.S. headquarters on Western Kentucky University’s Innovation Campus.

The company will invest nearly $3 million in the local headquarters and anticipates 28 new high-paying positions, according to a press release from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.

“The growth and momentum we are seeing throughout Kentucky’s technology sector is no accident,” Beshear said. “Creating an environment that allows for startups and tech companies to thrive is critical to the commonwealth’s long-term success.”

The company’s CEO, Jeanne Lim, told the Daily News the company considered San Francisco and New York for the headquarters, but said Bowling Green “felt like home” while still offering room to grow.

“I realized that there’s actually a whole community of creative people that we could tap into, both in terms of the character design and the storytelling, and also the trans-media way of telling the story,” Lim said.

WKU President Timothy Caboni said in the news release that the decision to locate here is a testament to the university’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration.

“This collaboration will provide our researchers, our students, our alumni and companies based in the region unmatched opportunities to engage with a cutting-edge AI company and contribute to groundbreaking advancements in the field,” Caboni said.

Also last week, plans for a 150,000 square foot facility to house Aerospace Composites Solutions was announced in Morgantown. It is expected to add 72 new jobs to the city’s industrial park.

ACS, originally established in 2009 as Blackhawk Composites, designs and manufactures modifications for aircraft that boost their performance.

Add to the list the Envision AESC electric battery plant — a $2 billion, 2,000-employee EV battery plant now under construction in Warren County’s Kentucky Transpark — and several other recent business announcements, and we have the recipe for making southcentral Kentucky a tech job hub.

-Bowling Green Daily News