Panel discussion at Greater St. Louis, Inc. highlight benefits to region of investing in critical technology infrastructure for the future
ST. LOUIS — Leaders from St. Louis’ business, civic, and organized labor organizations came together today to highlight the benefits to the St. Louis region of supporting to the development of data centers, technology infrastructure that the group said was critical to driving inclusive economic growth for the region’s future.
“Right now we are in a war for jobs and digital infrastructure is shaping the next generation of economic growth,” said Ron Kitchens, Managing Partner of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “We have to ask ourselves a simple question: Are we a region that is going to compete, or are we going to sit back and watch someplace else succeed?
“We believe that St. Louis can compete with anywhere else in the country and win, and we are here today to say that there is too much at stake for our region’s future for us to not be fighting for it.”
The panel discussion featured the heads of the Missouri AFL-CIO and St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, the President of the St. Louis Branch of the NAACP, and policy experts on economic development, public utilities, and data center development.
The group highlighted the benefits of data center development to the St. Louis region:
- Billions of dollars in investment and economic growth
- Tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs
- Increased funding for schools and critical municipal services
- The long-term growth and advancement of the region’s major technology focused industry sectors, including health care, agtech, geospatial, neuroscience, financial technology, and others.
The leaders said the meeting also sought to set the record straight on some of the misinformation about data centers that has dominated public discourse.
“Communities are debating whether data centers are worth pursuing, with concerns about electricity demand, water usage, and land use dominating the headlines. These conversations are fair and important. But in too many instances, myth and misinformation are distracting from facts and common sense,” said Kitchens.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. – We Drive Growth
Greater St. Louis, Inc. forges partnerships that empower growth across the 15-county St. Louis region. We convene and collaborate with business, governmental, and civic leaders to empower economic growth and prosperity in communities across the St. Louis metro area. Together, we act with intention to create a thriving and inclusive St. Louis that attracts and retains investment and talent for generations to come and creates more and better jobs for the region. Learn more about how we are driving growth at GreaterSTLinc.com.