As part of AIM Institute, a not-for- profit organization that grows, connects and inspires tech talent to ensure a world-class tech workforce for the region, Silicon Prairie News has recently released the Silicon Prairie News 2016 State of the Silicon Prairie report. The report provides a snapshot review of the Silicon Prairie and its communities in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota.
“This report gives a good road map for cities within the Silicon Prairie as it relates to startups and technology. It allows them to see what other cities are doing well and how they can improve within their own tech ecosystems,” said Brian Lee, Managing Director of Silicon Prairie News. Among the top cities listed, Ames, Iowa, ranked number one because of the multiple companies created there that have allowed the community to carve out an engineering, energy and IT footprint larger than its population and workforce.
The top 10 cities for tech startups as listed in the report are:
1. Ames, Iowa
2. Kansas City, Missouri
3. St. Louis, Missouri
4. Lincoln, Nebraska
5. Des Moines, Iowa
6. Iowa City, Iowa
7. Columbia, Missouri
8. Omaha, Nebraska
9. Sioux City, Iowa
10. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The report gives recommendations for cities to grow their footprint within the Silicon Prairie, including sister cities working together to build more steam, and working together as a whole to help further strengthen the Silicon Prairie as a hub for technology, entrepreneurship and innovation.