SALT LAKE CITY?Computer chip designer Cadence Design Systems Inc. said Tuesday it will open a Utah shop that could employ about 300 people.

The California-based company picked the suburb of Sandy over 100 other candidates for a regional design center to tap into Utah’s engineering brainpower.

Chief executive Ray Bingham said Tuesday he decided to “go where the talent is.” Utah has a growing technology industry and Gov. Mike Leavitt has made a goal of doubling the number of engineering and science graduates.

Cadence is a $1.4 billion company and a supplier for Sony Corp., Hewlett Packard Co.., Texas Instruments Inc. and other electronics manufacturers.