TECHTHRIVE main objectives is to establish Iowa State as a national leader in promoting and enabling a rural innovation economy through research on cutting-edge technologies for rural applications and STEM educational initiatives designed to meet the needs of rural learners. The dual focus on technology and education will catalyze transformational change in rural Iowa by attracting new industries and highly-skilled, high-paying jobs that will encourage more young people and professionals to remain or return to rural areas.

Key components of the TechTHRIVE vision include supporting job creation in technology-driven sectors, fostering new business creation and entrepreneurship, and enriching the small-town quality of life so that these communities are welcoming places to live and raise families. New workforce development models will also be designed to engage an untapped population of potential STEM workers and entrepreneurs already residing in these communities. Such efforts, including collaborations with historically underrepresented communities, will help address growing income inequality and educational disparities in rural Iowa. The long-term goal is an ISU-led network of such hubs across the U.S. based on TechTHRIVE’s success.

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