Allyah Sulaman, a St. Louis Community College student, thanks Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon for the state's help.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon outlined a new legislative initiative Wednesday morning to add more money to efforts to attract and keep high-tech scientific and research jobs in Missouri.
The initiative, called the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), will be a key component of comprehensive legislative proposal designed to increase jobs by investing in plant and animal science research and to attract and retain technology-oriented companies.
"Here in Missouri, we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the very foundation of our economy by embracing the industry of the 21st Century and by capitalizing on new research and innovation," Nixon said at a news conference.
John Bradley with Divergence, a biotechnology firm at the BRDG Building, shows Gov. Nixon some of the ongoing company research during a tour on Wednesday.
Nixon outlined the proposal during a visit to the BioResearch and Development Growth (BRDG) Park building at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 1005 North Warson Rd. in St. Louis County.
MOSIRA is a key component of the governor's Missouri First Initiative that he will propose to the Missouri General Assembly during their next legislative session beginning in January.
The act would create a funding source to spark growth in research and technology by using money generated by a designated group of Missouri science and innovation companies. The fund would be from a small percentage of growth in revenue in a base year from these companies. Nixon said the fund may generate $30 million to $50 million annually.
The money would be transferred into an investment fund and administered by the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC). MTC would spend the money to spur economic growth in biotechnology and life sciences. MTC could spend the money to attract top scientists to the state, help with commercializing scientific research to create new companies, provide capital for emerging technology, help entrepreneurs open companies and provide more worker training.
Nixon said he hoped that there would be bi-partisan support for the initiative. While other states are talking about budget cuts or dealing with political party disputes, Missouri could be focusing on the future, he said.
"This is a choice of a state that we're going to be excellent in something," Nixon said. The state already has a strong biotechnology and life science base, he added.
Science offers the best way to move out of challenging economic times. It's also not hard to sell to skeptics, he said. "We want be more efficient, we want foods that are more healthy and nutritious, we want medicines that are natural, we want to be self sustaining," Nixon said. "And we want to have a job."
Nixon saw one example during a tour of the BRDG building, the 110,000-square-foot building that houses two companies involved in life science research--Divergence and Monsanto--and the St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Sciences, which trains students. Allyah Sulaman, a student in the college center, thanked Nixon for state funding that allowed her to go back to school. A former school bus driver, Sulaman is graduating this spring with an associate’s degree in biotechnology. "I couldn't have gone back to school without it," she said.
Comments
quickstraw (anonymous) says...
I love politicians who come up with a plan to make money other than raising taxes. That's the way it should be done. Kudos to Nixon for forward thinking.
December 16, 2009 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nipseyrussellsworld (anonymous) says...
Yeah, thats the answer to our unemployment problems. Attract scientists from other states. Great idea. Nixon's being subserviant to the all mighty Monsanto. Maybe he can set up more undercover stings to bust farmers selling organic milk not approved by Monsanto. Yeah kudos Jay. You are a real mover and shaker.
December 16, 2009 at 6:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tmmy99 (anonymous) says...
Ah--The ever Left wing Liberal Govenor, such the do gooder. Hold on to your wallets.
December 16, 2009 at 8:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rjn16 (anonymous) says...
Every scientist that is attracted here from another state will need a technical workforce to get their research completed. This can be anywhere from five to ten new jobs per scientist attracted to the region. This has little to do with Monsanto, who is already well established in the region and alot to do with using the resources the state has in the plant and life sciences to create a growing economic base that will sustain the region well into the future. I applaud the governor for his insight and forward thinking.
December 17, 2009 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )