In a strategic shift that solidifies Nashville's standing in the healthcare tech sector, Oracle Corp. co-founder Larry Ellison has announced plans to relocate the software giant's world headquarters to the city's downtown riverfront. The move, disclosed during a "fireside chat" with former U.S. senator Bill Frist at the Oracle Health Summit, capitalizes on Nashville's burgeoning health care industry and Oracle's commitment to healthcare software products.
"Nashville is already a health center," Ellison said, according to The Tennessean. Oracle's investment in a 70-acre property signals a significant boom for the local community, with the campus slated to become "the center of our future," as Ellison put it. Although currently headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company had refrained from disclosing extensive plans about the Nashville location until now, beyond referring to it as a second U.S. headquarters.
The Tennessean also reports that Oracle's Nashville plans include robust community integration, with proposals for a park-like campus outfitted with office buildings, a community clinic, and a concert venue featuring a lake and a floating stage. This aligns with Ellison's vision of Oracle being deeply woven into the fabric of Nashville, a factor that employee surveys also championed.
Oracle's legacy in the healthcare sector was bolstered through its 2022 acquisition of Cerner, a leading electronic medical records software provider. "It’s the center of the industry we’re most concerned about which is the healthcare industry," Ellison stated, as reported by The Tennessean. Despite a slip during the conversation in which Ellison expressed he "shouldn't have said that," indicating an unintentional reveal, the move is now prominent public knowledge.
Ellison's revelation cements the deal that the city's leaders have been cultivating, which included a $65 million incentive package approved by a Tennessee panel to bring Oracle to Nashville, as reported by The Economic Times. This agreement promises over 8,500 jobs and more than a billion dollars in regional investment over the coming decade.
