Some 115 people attended a two-day remote conference hosted by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry aimed at establishing Missouri as a hub for tech growth.
“Missouri is a top 10 state for tech manufacturing,” said Kara Corches, director of legislative affairs at the Missouri Chamber. “We're a top 10 state for diversity in our tech workforce and a top 10 state for women in the tech workforce. So, those are great numbers to highlight Missouri as an emerging tech hub.”
The Missouri Chamber’s Tech & Innovation Virtual Summit which took place Aug. 18-19 featured executive speakers from tech companies, such as Bayer, Brewer Science, Cerner, Google, and Scollar.
“Just looking at the climate of the workforce and jobs in general, we know that every industry is relying on a tech workforce so now more than ever before we wanted to start an initiative that would be a robust, strategic, and comprehensive effort to create an economic climate in Missouri where tech and innovation can thrive,” Corches told the St. Louis Record.
The event was used to unveil the following three initiatives.
Missouri Technology Alliance: A brand new alliance between the Missouri Chamber and pro-growth leaders to push the state’s technology industry forward.
“This is a coalition of businesses who want to see the tech and innovation economies grow, which doesn't just apply to traditional tech companies but also includes industries like healthcare with hospitals, utilities, and manufacturers because technology is relied upon across every single industry,” Corches said.
Missouri Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus: A bipartisan group of legislators in the Missouri General Assembly has established a new caucus to pursue pro-growth policies.
“We're thrilled the Missouri General Assembly has taken it upon themselves to prioritize these issues and form the first-ever bicameral, bipartisan innovation and technology caucus,” Corches said. “It's chaired in the Senate by Senator Lincoln Hough and Senator Brian Williams and in our Missouri House of Representatives, it’s chaired by Representative Aaron Griesheimer and Representative Paula Brown.
The Tech2030 Report: Authored by the Missouri Chamber Foundation, the study provides an overview of the state’s tech industry and analyzes ways to maximize growth.
“Our vision is to be a state that absolutely embraces tech and innovation where we have an economic climate that allows both tech and innovation to thrive and in doing so that's going to ultimately drive more investment into our state,” Corches added. “It's going to drive more workers that want to live here as they see us as an emerging tech hub and overall it creates a better quality of life.”