Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/297333
PILLARS OF RESEARCH University Research: A HIGH TECH CATALYST T he three research universities that make up the Florida High Tech Corridor Council—the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF)—are collectively responsible for more than $1 billion worth of research grants every year. What's more, the Corridor institutions also garner attention from the strength of their research initiatives, especially incubation programs for starting new com- panies. In 2013, UCF and UF took home the two highest honors from the National Business Incubation Associa- tion as the Incubator Network of the Year and Incubator of the Year, respectively. Also last year, USF doubled the size of its incubator space, opening the doors to emerging startups like KeriCure, a biotech specializing in advanced wound care. KeriCure is just one of the hundreds of companies helped every year by the Florida High Tech Corridor Coun- cil's Matching Grants Research Program (MGRP). In its nearly 18-year history, MGRP has leveraged more than $50 million into a $1 billion regional impact—all thanks to the collaborations between university faculty and industry partners working together to solve industry needs through applied research. In these pages, you'll read about some of the com- panies that have participated in the Program working in fields as diverse as aerospace, simulation, optics and bio- medicine. These stories of innovation are only a few of the scientific achievements created every day in Florida's High Tech Corridor. florida.HIGH.TECH 2014 17