Iowa doesn’t need to be a leader in every facet of the information technology industry to make IT a major part of its economy, according to a consulting group’s recent report. Instead, it should focus on a short list of high-priority “platforms” for development, building on its current strengths.

The report, conducted for the state by the Battelle Memorial Institute, recommends that Iowa focus on four specialty areas:

– specialized IT applications in finance and insurance

– wireless technology

– advanced visualization and human-computer interaction systems

– high-reliability, rugged electronic systems

If the recommendations are carried out, Iowa’s information technology sector should conservatively be able to add 45 firms that will create an additional 900 high-tech jobs over the next 10 years, the report said

“These additional companies will conservatively generate additional sales of more than $620 million in 10 years,” the report said.

One of the first steps in carrying out the multifaceted plan, which includes five strategies and 16 recommended actions, will be to convene an “Iowa IT Development Summit,” similar to the biotechnology summit held a year ago in response to the initial Battelle report on the biosciences industry.

The IT report estimates the state will need to invest more than $172 million over 10 years to fund the recommendations. It also estimates that nearly $200 million in both direct and matching funds will come from the private sector to help pay for the initiatives in the next 10 years.

Leann Jacobson, president of the Technology Association of Iowa, said her group will play a leading role in the formation of that summit, which will bring together university researchers and company technology experts. The plan also calls for formation of a matching-grant fund and a structure to speed development of products based on university research.

“There are some areas that we are very interested in jumping into immediately,” Jacobson said. For instance, the association already has a legislative initiative geared toward developing university IT innovations, she said.

One of the major gaps identified in the report was a lack of training programs to assist IT workers in periodically updating their skills as technologies advance and new software applications are introduced. It recommends developing a state-funded training program to fill that need.

“I think the industry will welcome any support it can get when it comes to training assistance,” Jacobson said. “This can be very burdensome for IT companies; that training is needed immediately and it requires travel to the East or West coasts, so it represents a significant expense to our companies.”

In many cases, Iowa’s community colleges have been unable to provide the kind of training needed by the IT industry, said Therese Wielage, board chair of Spindustry Training LLC, a division of Spindustry Systems Inc.

Wielage said Spindustry has begun partnering with Hawkeye Community College in Cedar Rapids to provide some specialized classes that the community college doesn’t offer, and is looking into a similar partnership with Des Moines Area Community College.

Overall, the development of the IT strategic road map signals that Iowa is ready to expand its technology base, Jacobson said..

“It calls for an investment in Iowa’s IT industry that will fuel broad-based growth across all sectors of the economy. While it is a challenge, it is a challenge that is important to step up to.”

The report, “Iowa’s Information Technology Strategic Roadmap, can be accessed on the Iowa Department of Economic Development Web site, www.iowalifechanging.com.