Florida High Tech Corridor

2014

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Growing High Tech Industry Through a unique partnership with dozens of economic development, workforce, academic and industry partners, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council has supported the growth of high tech industry throughout the 23-county region for nearly 20 years. A regional economic development initiative of three research universities – the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida – The Corridor has continued to receive national recognition for its efforts to build a region where technology and innovation thrive. The following overview provides details about the initiatives and programs that helped the Council grow high tech industry in 2013/2014. Matching Grants Research Program The key focus of the Corridor Council has been to foster applied research partnerships between high tech industry leaders and our three Corridor universities. Every year, technology companies bring their commercial challenges to our expert faculty to take advantage of the Council's Matching Grants Research Program (MGRP), which helps leverage the R&D budgets of industry partners. This year, MGRP projects have furthered innovative technologies such as a SURFHVVIRUFRQYHUWLQJODQGÀOOJDVWROLTXLGK\GURFDUERQIXHOVDQGZLUHOHVV sensors for diagnostics under harsh environments. During 2013/2014, the program generated 82 projects in partnership with 65 Corridor companies, including 20 companies participating in the MGRP for WKHÀUVWWLPH7KH&RXQFLOLQYHVWHGQHDUO\PLOOLRQLQWKHSURMHFWVZKLOHWKH participating companies matched that investment with $11.4 million in cash, in-kind services and equipment. The total value of research conducted through the Matching Grants Research Program therefore neared $16.4 million this year. Since the inception of the program in 1996, the Council has partnered with more than 360 companies on some 1,346 research projects in sectors ranging from Agritechnology to Sustainable Energy. The more than $62 million in funds that have been invested by the Council have been matched by corporate cash and in-kind investments of $177 million, JHQHUDWLQJDQDGGLWLRQDOPLOOLRQLQTXDQWLÀDEOHGRZQVWUHDPLPSDFWV resulting in a total project value of nearly $1.18 billion. The Matching Grants Research Program counts among its successes the opportunity to engage talented student researchers who learn from faculty mentors as they solve real-world challenges. During 2013/2014, approximately 174 student researchers and 55 faculty members from our research universities were engaged in conducting applied research on Corridor projects. That brings the total number of students (2,692) and faculty (304) who have conducted research on a matching grants project since inception more than 18 years ago to 2,996. Annual Report florida.HIGH.TECH 2014 2013-2014 FHTCC Annual Report W

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