The Tri-State Development Regional Report
news & updates
JANUARY 2024 | Issue 14
Upcoming Events
JANUARY
15 Closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
18 Corn Belt Ports Office Ribbon Cutting, Culver-Stockton College, Johnson-Turner IDEA Center 10:00am CST
FEBRUARY
8 Transportation & River Task Force Meeting, 2:00pm CST, Klingner & Associates, 616 N 24th St, Quincy, IL 62301
13 Regional Childcare Task Force Meeting, Community Foundation, 621 Vermont St, Quincy, IL 62301, 10:00am CST: NOTE: The address provided is for the Community Foundation's new office location.
23 Broadband Task Force Meeting, Northeast Power, 3705 N Business 61, Palmyra, MO 63461, 2:00pm CST
27 Regional Health & Wellbeing Task Force Meeting, Hannibal Regional, 6000 Hospital Dr, Hannibal, MO 63401, 3rd Floor Board Room, 2:00pm CST
29 Rural Business & Ag Task Force Meeting, Traction Steam, Mt. Pleasant, IA, 2:00pm CST
The Impact of AI on Rural Economies and Critical Sectors in the Tri-State Development Region
As we step into the future, the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of various industries throughout the world and right here in the Tri-State Development region. It can be overwhelming to adapt to new, rapidly implemented technologies, especially for areas like ours, that are isolated from significant tech resources. AI is not merely a passing trend; it has firmly established itself as a transformative force reshaping the business landscape. As industries across the globe integrate AI technologies to enhance efficiency, innovation, and customer experiences, it becomes evident that AI is here to stay. In this article, we'll explore how AI is impacting different sectors, with a special focus on its implications for industry sectors critical to the Tri-State Development region including rural small businesses, entrepreneurship, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.

In the context of rural economic development, AI is proving to be a game-changer for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Automation tools powered by AI are streamlining operations, enhancing productivity, and reducing costs for all enterprises. From advanced data analytics to personalized customer experiences, AI is enabling rural businesses to compete on a broader scale.

In the agricultural sector, AI is orchestrating a revolution, reshaping traditional farming practices and optimizing resource utilization. AI-powered technologies, such as precision farming and smart sensors, enable farmers to make data-driven decisions for crop management. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast datasets, providing insights into soil health, weather patterns, and crop conditions. This leads to optimized irrigation, precision seeding, and efficient pest control, ultimately enhancing crop yields and sustainability. Drones equipped with AI enhance crop monitoring and surveillance, while autonomous vehicles streamline field operations.
Exploring the Tri-State Regional Tech Workforce
The slow adoption of transformative technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) in rural areas can be attributed, in part, to the scarcity of a robust tech workforce. Unlike urban centers with a concentration of skilled professionals, rural regions often face challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining a workforce with expertise in emerging technologies. The lack of a substantial tech talent pool hinders the seamless integration of AI and other cutting-edge technologies into various sectors, from agriculture to healthcare and manufacturing. The absence of skilled professionals proficient in emerging tech development, implementation, and maintenance can create barriers for businesses and organizations in rural areas, limiting their ability to fully harness the benefits of advanced technologies. Addressing this workforce gap becomes critical for propelling the adoption of new technology in rural landscapes, necessitating initiatives focused on education, training, and collaborative efforts to build and sustain a tech-savvy talent pool in our communities.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a comparative look of the tech workforce in our region as of May 2022. Statistics for 2023 should be updated and available by April 2024. Click on the images to pull up a larger format.
For our purposes, we will focus on the 3 distinct areas of our Tri-State region: Southeast Iowa non-metro, West Central Illinois non-metro, and North Missouri non-metro.

The map to the right illustrates the number of computer and math employees by each distinct area. This segment is representative of employees in the tech industry.

Southeast Iowa employs approximately 2,730 comp/math workers, representing 12.95 workers per 1000, which is 1.3% of the area workforce. The Des Moines area boasts the most concentrated comp/math workforce in the state with 4.7% of the workforce. There are 38,800 total employees in computer and math occupations in the state of Iowa.

West Central Illinois employs 1,640 comp/math workers, representing 10.19 workers per 1000, or 1%. Interestingly, while we might expect Chicago to be the market employing the most comp/math workers, which they are, with over 135,000 employees in this field, Bloomington has the highest concentration of comp/math experts with 80.43 employees per 1000, or a little over 8%. There are over 187,000 people working in comp/math jobs in the state of Illinois.

North Missouri employs approximately 910 tech workers, which represents 8.61 workers per 1000, or less than 1%. It's no surprise that St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas have the most comp/math employees with a little over 45,000 and 42,000 respectively. Kansas City barely edges out its cross-state rival as the most concentrated area for comp/math jobs in the state at 4%.
The map above illustrates the location quotient for each area. The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of comp/math employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates that comp/math is less prevalent in the area than average.

Southeast Iowa has a comp/math location quotient of .38, followed by West Central Illinois at .30 and Northeast Missouri at .25
All three states, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri are making significant investments to ensure tech driven growth. As a region, it will be important for us to demonstrate that our 36-county region deserves consideration for the resources we can contribute to the tech sector. As we continue to make investments in broadband infrastructure and technology education, our ability to attract additional skilled workers in the areas that support tech innovation will also grow. Tri-State Development is committed to joining with our regional partners to help create a positive framework for this sustainable and essential workforce recruitment initiative.
The buzz around Artificial Intelligence and the impact it is having and will continue to have on all industry sectors leads to a robust online library of articles and resources. Tri-State Development has pulled together a few articles that we thought might be of interest to our stakeholders.
Communities in western Kansas are trying a new AI tool to help them target economic growth and hopefully fight long-term trends of population loss.
Take a look at the latest annual McKinsey Global Survey on the current state of AI that confirms the explosive growth of generative AI (gen AI) tools. 

Read how manufacturers are attaining significant advancements in productivity, quality, and effectiveness with early use cases of AI and GenAI. 
McKinsey Digital
January 9, 2024
By Kate Smaje and Rodney Zemmel January
CORN BELT PORTS ESTABLISHES A PRESENCE IN THE REGION
Corn Belt Ports is proud to expand its regional port model inside the Corn Belt’s Lock and Dam System with the opening of a new office on the campus of Culver-Stockton College. The team will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception on January 18, 2024, at 10 AM, at the Johnson-Turner Innovation, Design, and Experimental Activities (IDEA) Center located in the larger Gladys Crown Student Center. The office will also support the Tri-State (IL, MO, IA) Mid-America Port Commission (MAPC), one of the four regional Corn Belt Ports, in addition Tri-State Development is the foundation of the region’s economic development and business cluster.  
 
What: Corn Belt Ports Culver-Stockton College Office Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 
Who: Corn Belt Ports Leadership, Culver-Stockton College Leadership, Elected Officials, Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway Stakeholders, and Members of the Community 
When: January 18th at 10 AM 
Where: 1 College Hill, Canton, MO 63435 

For more information, please contact Chris Smith, Corn Belt Ports, at chris.smith@cornbeltports.com
Tri-State Development Task Force Meetings
UPCOMING Task Force Meetings
Broadband Task Force Meeting
Next Meeting: February 23, 2024, 2:00pm
Location: Northeast Power, 3705 N Business 61, Palmyra, MO 63461
Join by Zoom: Click here
Please note: this meeting date has been updated from a previous communication. Please update your calendar to reflect the Feb. 23rd meeting date.

Childcare Task Force Meeting
Next Meeting: February 13, 2024, 10:00am
Location: The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri, 621 Vermont St, Quincy, IL 62301,
Join by Zoom: Click here

Transportation & River Task Force Meeting
Next Meeting: February 8, 2024, 2:00pm
Location: Klingner & Associates, 616 N 24th St, Quincy, IL 62301
Join by Zoom: Click here

Regional Health & Wellbeing Task Force Meeting
Next Meeting: February 27, 2024, 2:00pm
Location: Hannibal Regional, 6000 Hospital Dr, Hannibal, MO 63401, 3rd Floor Board Room
Join by Zoom: Click here

Rural Business & Ag Task Force Meeting
Next Meeting: February 29, 2024, 2:00pm
Location: Traction Steam, Mt. Pleasant, IA
Join by Zoom: Click here
Port Development Federal Grant Opportunity
US Department of Transportation 2024 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant applications are due April 30, 2024. Up to $450,000,000 in funding for grants will be awarded to assist in improving the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to ports.

The Port Infrastructure Development Program supports the efficient movement of commerce upon which our economy relies through discretionary grant funding that helps strengthen, modernize, and improve our country’s maritime systems and gateway ports. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and support the Nation’s long-term economic vitality.

For answers to questions or assistance with the application, please contact Chris Smith at chris.smith@cornbeltports.com
Please join us in thanking our community partners who support
Tri-State Development and the economic prosperity of our region.

Presenting sponsor:
and supported by:
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Tri-State Development at Culver-Stockton College supports the region by cultivating collaborative relationships, promoting interdisciplinary problem-solving, fostering the expansion of academic-organization-industry initiatives, and developing an environment for collective impact to address the current and emerging economic, and social challenges in the region.
Tri-State Development Summit at Culver-Stockton College | [culver.edu/tsd]
Leslie Sieck, Executive Director [lsieck@culver.edu]