There is nothing inherently wrong about growing old. With age may come wisdom and wealth. But what is natural for individuals can be bad for a state. Demographers say Ohio is aging faster than its neighbors, and that could grow into a problem for everyone living here.

Ohio is losing residents between ages 18 and 45 faster than any other state, according to the National Conference of Mayors. When the population skews older, it means increased strains on all kinds of medical and social services and fewer resources to deal with them.

We cannot afford to go quietly into a geriatric future. We must take action right now and transform Ohio into a place where young people can find work and a secure future, and where the elderly can grow old in comfort.

A story in last week's Enquirer reported that by 2020, Ohio's older population will grow by 44 percent. The number is part of a report by the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. The report said that number will be even higher in suburban counties, led by Warren and Clermont counties, which will see the number of people over 60 increase by 145 percent and 120 percent, respectively, by 2020. Seniors will account for about 23.5 percent of the state population, up from 17.3 percent today, and a third of them will have at least one physical disability, the report said.

Leaders are going to have to plan for the coming aging population, but equally important will be to stem the flow of young people out of Ohio and Greater Cincinnati.

Although Ohio universities provide good educations for students, many of those students take what they've learned here and head for perceived greener pastures in high-tech economies in Sun Belt or Western states.

But Ohio cities can be just as innovative as Austin or Seattle, with the right initiatives. As we have said before, Ohio must produce and hold on to innovative new companies that can generate new products and jobs to keep the state a technological leader.

Ohio's billion-dollar Third Frontier initiative, though promising, has not yet spun off the kinds of entrepreneurial companies hoped for. And last November's defeat of a $500 million bond issue to add to the fund didn't help the state in its goal to attract high-tech jobs. Ohio also lags behind the rest of the nation on venture capital, a key indicator of a state's innovation.

This must change. Greater Cincinnati has a number of innovative companies such as Procter & Gamble and General Electric that attract young people. And academic centers such as the University of Cincinnati's Genomic Research Institute hold great promise for the future. But more is needed.

Ohio's business, education and political leaders must work together to transform the state's image from that of an aging member of the Rust Belt to a dynamic place that supports an entrepreneurial culture and an innovative future.