The state of Missouri needs to do a better job of attracting and retaining talented people and boosting investment in startup businesses, the state's chief operating officer, Drew Erdmann, said Monday.
Erdmann serves on Gov. Eric Greitens' Innovation Task Force, which held its fifth and final workshop Monday in Cape Girardeau as it looks at ways for the state to promote innovation and new technology startup businesses.
The, invitation-only workshop was at Southeast Missouri State University's Catapult Creative House in Cape Girardeau.
It attracted about 30 to 35 entrepreneurs, representatives of tech startups, bankers, investors and educators.
Erdmann said the goal is to find ways to make Missouri the "leading innovation economy in the middle of the country in the next five to 10 years."
After the workshop, Erdmann said in a telephone interview the task force will look at how the state could make regulatory and tax-code changes as well as provide some technical assistance to help new startups.
Erdmann said the task force is interested in finding ways to provide incentives to encourage greater investment in such startups.
While state government can play a role, "it is ultimately going to come back to the private sector," he said.
Formed by the governor in June with the help of the nonpartisan Hawthorn Foundation, the task force of private, not-for-profit and public sector leaders, including state lawmakers, has completed about two-thirds of its work, Erdmann said.
The task force is looking to submit a report to the governor by the end of August, he said.
According to Erdmann, the task force will present various options to the governor, listing pros and cons.
Task-force members may disagree on some points, but Erdmann said he believes there will be consensus on "core topics where the state could help out."
But he added "the devil will be in the details."
The task force consists of a steering committee of about 30 people, including the directors of the state's economic development and revenue departments.
In addition, the group's five workshops across the state drew about 200 participants, Erdmann said.
The task force also has conducted surveys, which so far have garnered more than 1,500 responses, he said.
"We wanted this task force to be designed to have as many people participate in it as possible," Erdmann said.
Once the task force issues its report, the governor's administration will look at the options.
"The governor will have to make some calls," Erdmann said.
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