Florida High Tech Corridor

2014

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Dear Fellow Floridians: It's hard to believe that this transformative approach to economic development will soon enter its 20 th year. When the handful of academic leaders and corporate industry partners started down the path of developing the initiative that would become the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, I doubt any of us realized how much we could accomplish in almost two decades: • A funded research program that has not only garnered international acclaim, but more importantly has made a billion dollar impact LQWKHUHJLRQ • A continuing shared belief by three of the most important research universities in America that they can dramatically improve the economy and quality of life in their UHJLRQDQG • A spirit of collaboration amongst our numerous partners that is all but unheard of in most economic development circles. ,QWKLVSDVWÀVFDO\HDUZHKDYH continued to set new milestones with the highest total research funding level in the organization's history. The Corridor's Matching Grants Research Program leveraged its nearly $5 million investment to garner $11.4 million in company cash and in-kind matches for applied research funding for work as diverse as investigating biomarkers for breast cancer, GHYHORSLQJDGYDQFHGWKLQÀOPOLWKLXPLRQ EDWWHULHVDQGVWXG\LQJWKHHQHUJ\HIÀFLHQF\ of a new technology for open refrigeration display cases. Not only did this past year see an increase in research, but it also saw an increase in the number of patents awarded, as the three Corridor universities collectively garnered 239 patents as reported by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. That total is higher than two other major tech hubs including the Research Triangle (whose Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill garnered 130 patents) and all of the Texas research universities together—the entire University of Texas system, Rice University and Texas A&M University collectively earned 226 patents. Looking ahead, I have no doubt that The Corridor will continue its rapid pace of research activity thanks to one of the biggest projects our region has ever seen: the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center. Announced in mid-June, the Center is a partnership of the University of Central Florida (UCF), Osceola County, the Florida High Tech &RUULGRU&RXQFLODQGRWKHUVWKDWZLOOVWDQGXSWKHZRUOG·VÀUVWLQGXVWU\ led smart sensor consortium, the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research. The Corridor has pledged $6.5 million toward the establishment of the Center as well as applied research efforts of the consortium to be matched by funds from its associated companies. This landmark project has the potential to transform the high tech economy in the Corridor… very similar to how two neighboring research universities partnered together all those years ago in support of the growth of the semiconductor industry and in the process created this organization. Just as happened then, UCF's Corridor partners, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida, have also committed support to the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center and the consortium. Read on for more highlights of The Corridor's efforts to grow high tech industry and innovation. Best regards, Randy Berridge, FHTCC President President's letter s p e c i a l s e c t i o n YEAR IN REVIEW

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