ST. LOUIS IS
STEAM POWERED.
The future is powered by STEAM, and St. Louis is increasingly at the center of science and technology. Today, the St. Louis region is home to a variety of science and technology companies, research institutions, healthcare entities and more.
The St. Louis region offers several strong industry groups powered by science and technology. Take a look at some of the local science and technology industries that are putting STEAM to work, as well as a few that could play an important role in the future of the St. Louis region.
Biomedical & Health Services
This sector includes healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology companies and more. It also includes academic institutions like Saint Louis University and Washington University, contributing scientific knowledge through biomedical research investigating everything from genomics and cancer to HIV and Alzheimer’s disease.
Local startups like VaxNewMo, Edison Agrosciences and Wugen are researching and developing next-generation vaccines, innovative plant-based industrial materials and cellular therapies for treating cancer. In September of 2020, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded BioSTL with a $1.5 million grant to launch the Center for Defense Medicine.
THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS NEARLY 200,000 PEOPLE IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION AND INCLUDES…
Aerospace Vehicles, Automotive and Defense
This sector involves large-scale manufacturing, servicing and the advanced production of defense technology including fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15 Strike Eagle, light automotive manufacturing for cars and trucks, and foundries producing metal components used in construction.
Scott Air Force Base, located in St. Clair County, Illinois, also plays an important role in the St. Louis region through connections to cybersecurity, defense and geospatial intelligence.
THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS OVER 23,000 PEOPLE IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION AND INCLUDES…
Advanced Production
This field includes smaller scale manufacturing and production focused on a variety of products and services that encompasses consumer and commercial products, food production, as well as software and mechanical engineering. Examples of St. Louis’ advanced production field include agricultural processing and manufacturing, electrical equipment and heavy machinery, as well as chemical products, information technology and more.
THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS OVER 57,000 PEOPLE IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION AND INCLUDES PRODUCTS LIKE…
Advanced Business Services
Fields like insurance, health management and finance technology (or “fintech”) have a strong presence in St. Louis, too. Companies in this area benefit from (and often rely on) advancements in information technology and the software industry.
These fields require a workforce skilled in STEAM areas like computer science, mathematics and data science that support an understanding of the financial market, healthcare operations and more.
THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS OVER 240,000 PEOPLE IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION AND INCLUDES…
1. GEOSPATIAL
This field utilizes location data for solutions to food production, climate change, defense and more.
Scheduled to open in 2025, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s $1.7 billion Next NGA West project in north St. Louis will be home to an expected 3,000 workers and represents the biggest federal investment project in St. Louis’ history.
2. FINTECH
The fintech sector uses computer sciences and new technologies to impact the efficiency of financial systems and services from mobile payments and banking to digital lending, cryptocurrency and more.
A recent expansion by notable fintech company Square in downtown St. Louis has kickstarted the creation of the NOW Innovation District. Located in the North Washington Ave. area, this development could hold great potential for additional jobs in the coming years as fintech startups continue to grow.
3. AGTECH
Using a variety of STEAM insights and technologies, the agriculture technology (or “agtech”) field impacts agriculture by helping farmers, food producers and more improve crop yields and increase efficiency.
Noteworthy St. Louis agtech entities include Bunge and Bayer Crop Science, as well as nonprofit research organizations like the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the United States’ largest plant science institute.