Technology

“How do we create conditions where it makes more sense for a company to either stay in St. Louis, or move here, if they want to do something related to agtech?” the innovation district’s executive director said.

With Chicago in the running for the $11 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-university network of researchers and scientists are optimistic Illinois’ advances in engineering and manufacturing — especially quantum — will help them seal the deal. So is Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The Rolla-based company that makes chemicals used in the production of computer chips increased the size of its 10-year-old facility at the Rolla airport by 50%.

“St. Louis put in the effort years ago to have this new facility built here and then recognized that that was not the end of the journey, that was the beginning of the journey,” said the former leader of the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation.

Defense contractors are working on new robotic, remote-controlled equipment they hope to sell to the armed forces. In the prototype assessment phase, soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood are working with the technology and providing feedback.

“If you want to attract economic development to the area, one of the selling points is that we have talent for you to bring whatever your respective business, industry here,” one expert said.

Over the next five days more than 40 events at dozens of venues in both Missouri and Illinois will cover sectors like ag tech, geospatial, extended reality, robotics and others.

The robots have been called adorable and cute, but they are also meeting a need for food delivery. The university thinks they send the right message about the campus' focus on innovation.

A St. Louis tech startup plans to deliver its first electrified and remote-controlled train cars to mining companies later this year. Intramotev company representatives also hope to market its TugVolt trains to companies that rely on shipping by truck.

Using a robot designed to guide humans on a short walk, Yun Seong Song measured how a person’s arm reacted to various movements from the machine.