Nebraska chamber launches statewide tech association

A new statewide technology organization has been launched to unite Nebraska’s tech minds and to push for growth and favorable policies for the industry.

The formation of Tech Nebraska was announced Friday by Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone during the chamber’s innovation and tech summit in Lincoln.

Slone said he expects the new effort to position the state as a leader in the future of technology and to foster a more diverse workforce.

Still in its early stages, Tech Nebraska has tapped board members from Kiewit, Google, Methodist Health System, Union Pacific, Meta, Workshop and others. It plans to recruit new members, set fundraising goals and hire an executive director and staff.

“Nebraska needs a thriving, unified tech sector to help drive its economy, compete for top talent and solve the challenges of tomorrow,” Slone said. “It’s imperative — regardless of whether you run a business in the urban core of Omaha, the shop floor in Columbus or from a pasture in the Sandhills.”

Slone said Nebraska ranks in the top 15 states for most tech jobs per capita, a tribute, he said, to the work already underway.

But he noted there is room for improvement. The Milken Institute’s State Technology and Science Index ranked Nebraska 34 out of 50, a gain from the 38th spot two years earlier. The state ranked 46 out of 50 in the 2022 Global Innovation Index’s most and least innovative states list, the chamber said.

Tech Nebraska leaders plan to partner with existing tech advocates across the state to build Nebraska’s reputation. They plan to create a website and social media accounts and to learn from progress made in peer states that have had statewide-focused tech associations for decades. 

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