Economically Speaking: Governor ties education to jobs with Research Alliance of Missouri

Joseph L. Driskill is the director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

In his State of the State address last month, Gov. Bob Holden said our most important priority for the future can be summed up in one word "jobs."

In order to create and retain good, high-paying jobs for Missourians, we must be ready to succeed in the new "knowledge-based" economy. We are seeing rapid growth in industries such as the life sciences, advanced manufacturing and information technology. Missouri must be a leader in this new economy, and the key to this is education and a skilled work force.

As Holden said in his speech, improving education in our state is the most important step we can take to provide better opportunities for our children and economic prosperity for our families. Making a strong investment in higher education is crucial to our future economic success. This applies to our businesses and corporations as well as to government.

Holden took steps to strengthen the relationship between Missouri's businesses and higher education by forming the Research Alliance of Missouri.

This alliance is made up of leaders in higher education and in the private sector who will work together to coordinate life sciences research and provide more access to technology for Missouri businesses. The governor announced the formation of the Research Alliance in his speech on Jan. 15, and the group held its first meeting that afternoon.

In its initial phase, the Research Alliance is represented by leaders from organizations such as the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Higher Education, the Office of Technology and Special Projects, and the Missouri Technology Corporation.

Many of Missouri's research-oriented universities are represented on the alliance, such as all four campuses of the University of Missouri system, Southwest Missouri State, Central Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State, Northwest Missouri State, Truman State University, Washington University and Saint Louis University. As the Research Alliance develops, more representatives will be named.

The Research Alliance presents its members with a unique networking opportunity to pool their resources, exchange life science research ideas and turn this research into commercial opportunities. Members of the alliance will be able to see what others are doing in research.

In some cases, perhaps one university's project is similar to another's work. The alliance will allow its members the opportunity to determine which research projects are complementary, and how resources can be combined for the best result. The alliance will also allow businesses to communicate their work force needs and how university research may best serve them.

The alliance plans to meet monthly to exchange ideas, share resources and make recommendations on steps that can be taken to convert research into jobs and economic growth.

Members plan to develop a charter and outline short-term and long-term goals. We value the time and commitment of the Research Alliance panel and look forward to hearing its ideas.

This work in advancing the life sciences could prove to be very lucrative for Missouri, according to a recent study conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute. Battelle researchers determined that the life sciences industry could create more than 22,000 high-paying jobs and more than $1 billion in investment over the next decade. With these types of economic rewards, it is easy to see why the life sciences are so important to our state.

We all reap the rewards of a strong higher education system, and Missouri's businesses are no different. They gain a quality work force and benefit from the advances of university research. The Research Alliance of Missouri will provide expertise and guidance in linking education and business. By accomplishing this, the group will help ensure economic prosperity for all Missourians.