BOULDER - Political and business leaders are trying to copy Boulder's success as they create the state "Blueprint for Innovation," Colorado's top economic-development official said Tuesday at the Boulder Economic Summit.

The summit, organized by the Boulder Economic Council and hosted by the University of Colorado-Boulder, focused on research and innovation. Boulder's combination of the two is seen as one of the key ways Colorado can improve its economic performance, said Ken Lund, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Many of the ideas upon which state leaders are drawing have come from Boulder, Lund said, especially its research institutions and entrepreneurs.

"There's no better example for the rest of the state than what you all have created in this community," he said.

Among the initiatives Lund's office is spearheading is the Colorado Innovation Network. The network's goal is to bring together private enterprise, public officials and academic researchers to discuss ways to promote economic growth.

The state also is refining its "Blueprint for Innovation," which will try to develop best practices communities can share while