 More than any other Midwestern state , Minnesota attracted engineers , especially in the computer industry . Minnesota also became a center of technology after the war . Engineering Research Associates was formed in 1946 to develop computers for the Navy . It later merged with Remington Rand , and later became Sperry Rand . William Norris left Sperry in 1957 to form Control Data Corporation ( CDC ) . Cray Research was formed when Seymour Cray left CDC to form his own company . Medical device maker Medtronic also was founded in the Twin Cities in 1949 . Honeywell was a national player as well , until 1999 when it was bought out and its headquarters moved to New Jersey . National firms , such as International Business Machines , operated large branch offices . IBM also operated a substantial manufacturing and development site in Rochester , starting in 1956 . State government and powerful politicians such as Hubert Humphrey maintained a favorable climate . The University of Minnesota trained many computer specialists who decided to stay in the Minnesota rather than move to sunny California . Minnesota thus became a successful junior partner to Route 128 around Boston and Silicon Valley . 
