To lead the City of Lincoln and bring together the public, private, and education sectors to enhance the community's core technology strengths and infrastructure to achieve a competitive advantage for Lincoln as a leading city for technology based businesses and to promote economic development.

Strategies:

• Biotechnology - "Concentrate on the transition of agribusiness to the 21st century, specifically pharmaceutical preparations (animal pharmaceuticals in particular) and research and development operations affiliated with the existing agriculture industry base such as food processing, crop engineering, and animal health." Deloitte & Touche Fantus report.

• Electronics Technology - Radio Frequency research, design and manufacturing. "The growing demand for telecommunications equipment is being driven by expansion of wireless networks, preparation for meeting demand for wireless data transmission, unmet demand for telecommunications services in developing countries, and Internet growth." Deloitte Touche Fantus report.

• Metal Products - Building on strong industry presence in Lincoln (Garner Industries, Lincoln Machine, Apollo Steel Company, Capital Contractors, Lincoln Plating Co., Custom Machine and Design, IMS, and others). Develop critical mass of outsourcing shops to larger manufacturing base.

• Health Care - Testing diagnostics, pharmaceutical development, and patient care. Strong industry support from Bryan LGH, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital , St. Elizabeth, Qwest Diagnostic, MDS Laboratories, and Pfizer Animal Health. Also strong support from virology research at UNL.

• Insurance Industry Support - the insurance Industry is poised to move into a merger phase similar to the phase seen by the financial industry. "Consolidation in the insurance industry is projected to reduce the umber of firms by up to 50% in the near future." Deloitte & Touche Fantus report. Lincoln's reliance on Insurance as major employers (State Farm, Ameritas, Lincoln Benefit Life, Security Financial, Woodmen and others) requires action to ensure these offices remain through the consolidation process.

• Quality of Life - Lincoln's unique quality of life can be a major asset in marketing our city as a home for new and expanding technology based companies and entrepreneurs. Features such as our vibrant 24-hour downtown, a wide array of arts, cultural and recreational and sports attractions as well as the presence of four post-secondary educational institutions including a major research university, position Lincoln as an energetic progressive community.

• Software Development - Software is the new physical infrastructure of the information age that will drive the nation's new economy including Nebraska's. Support a Great Plains Software Technology Initiative that will work with a consortium of university, industry, and government to accelerate economic development of software related industries in the region with three main missions: Economic Development, Education and Training, and Research and Technology Transfer. (The Great Plains Software Technology Initiative for the New Economy Report)

Technology Council