INSIDE FLORIDA'S HIGH TECH CORRIDOR

Via Email

July 2007

USF Health Collects $1.3 million in Grants
The Florida Department of Health’s James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program has competitively awarded several University of South Florida (USF) Health researchers grants totaling more than $1.3 million.

Eric Bennett, Ph.D., and Allison Willing, Ph.D., both received individual $188,000 grants, while a team project led by Shyam Mohapatra, Ph. D., received close to $1 million. The funding will support behavioral and biomedical research for preventing tobacco-related diseases.

For more information, visit
http://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/health/now/?p=163.

UF Engineers Construct World’s Largest Hurricane Simulator
Just in time for the 2007 hurricane season, University of Florida (UF) wind engineers have revealed their latest innovation – the world’s largest portable hurricane wind and rain simulator.

Composed of eight, five-foot tall industrial fans and four marine diesel engines, the latest addition to UF’s Hurricane Research technology arsenal replicates the 130 mph winds of a Category 3 hurricane, produces 2,800 horsepower and turns the fans at about 1,800 revolutions per minute.  The simulator’s first project is to examine how hurricanes damage homes and discover construction methods to prevent that damage.

For more information, visit
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/05/30/huge-wind-machine.

UCF Researcher Develops Glaucoma Treatment Using Nanoparticles
University of Central Florida (UCF) Engineering Professor Sudipta Seal has developed a new method to treat glaucoma, an eye disease that can cause blindness.

Working together with scientists from North Dakota State University and a Duke University student participating in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates at UCF, Seal developed a specialized nanoparticle bound with an agent that blocks a glaucoma-causing enzyme.  Through this microscopic treatment, Seal has found nanoparticles that effectively penetrate the eye and cause little discomfort to the patient.

Seal’s nanoparticle research, recently published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry, could open the door for limitless treatments using this delivery method.

For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?
page=article&id=0024004102c4c1d99011146fc1c32005b44&mode=news.

$36.5 Million Increase in Florida Universities’ Research Funds
Florida’s 13 public universities combined brought in more than $1.5 billion in research investments during 2006, a $36.5 million increase over the previous year.  Last year also saw a rebound in the number of research agreements executed with Florida-based companies, totaling 40 as compared to 28 in 2005.  With the number of equitable startups totaling 14, these results continue to prove the success coming from Florida university research partnerships.

The findings were detailed in a survey presented at the fourth annual Florida Tech Transfer Conference held in Miami last month.

For more information, visit http://www.techtransfer.fsu.edu/aggregate.html.

Corridor Businesses Ranked in CNN’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies
After surveying thousands of companies, CNN ranked three Corridor companies in its Top 100 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies 2007 Survey.

Sarasota-based Roper Industries, an industrial manufacturer of RFID chips that monitor traffic and read utility meters among other functions, was ranked 31st.  Relm Wireless, the makers of two-way digital radios headquartered in Melbourne, placed 63rd.  Capping the list at number 100 was Harris Corporation, also of Melbourne, which sold $1 billion worth of combat radios and won a $600 million contract from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Florida’s presence on the list doubled from 2006 as a total of four Florida-based companies made it on this year’s survey.

For more information, visit http://money.cnn.com/magazines/
business2/b2fastestgrowing/2007/states/FL.html.

Free Emergency E-mail Service Offered to Florida Businesses during Hurricane Season
For a third year the “Digital Disaster Preparedness” program, offered by AppRiver and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, will provide a free e-mail back-up service to keep Florida businesses fully functional during hurricanes and post-hurricane recovery.

Gulf County-based AppRiver offers the service as a way for businesses to preserve their IT infrastructures threatened by hurricane damage.

For more information, visit
http://www.appriver.com/newsview.asp?ID=92&dType=Press-Release.

NASA Provides Small Business Funding Opportunity
Kennedy Space Center’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs’ window for funding applications opens July 6, offering grants of up to $600,000 to small businesses for venture capital.

SBIR and STTR programs offer opportunities to qualified small, high-tech companies and research institutions to participate in government-sponsored research and development efforts in key technology areas, such as aeronautics research, exploration systems, and science and space operations, enabling commercial success.

Varying levels of awards, Phase I and Phase II, provide small businesses and entrepreneurs, both well-established and start-ups, the ability to stimulate technological innovation.

For more information, visit http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/SBIR.html.

Corridor Well Represented at 2007 State Science and Engineering Fair
The 52nd annual State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida, sponsored by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, turned out to be a showcase of the Corridor’s middle and high school students.

After advancing from a regional competition, hundreds of students from all over the state presented projects in 14 categories, such as computer science, engineering, physics or earth and space sciences.  A total of 218 students from the Corridor were recognized with awards, 21 of them with first-place prizes.

For more information, visit http://www.floridassef.net/index.htm.

Biofuel Production Plant to be Located in Florida
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences was awarded $20 million to launch a plant to commercialize ethanol technology patented by UF researcher Lonnie Ingram.

Instead of deriving ethanol from corn, Ingram’s method produces alternative energy from sugar cane and yard trimmings, specifically the inedible material in plant cell walls. Continuing to expand UF’s research on alternative fuels, the new plant will foster opportunities for experimentation and improvements in the cellulosic ethanol technology.

The plant will be built at a to-be-determined location in Florida.

For more information, visit http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/story.aspx?id=1234.

Enterprise Florida Expands “Phase 0” Grant Proposal Aid
Enterprise Florida (EFI) expanded the “Phase 0” Pilot Program to assist more small businesses with developing strong proposals for federal funds, increasing the likelihood of small technology companies getting a piece of a $2 billion pie.

Since 2005, EFI aided only its partners, but now, participation from any company recommended by a partner is accepted.  As a result, stronger proposals yield more awards, which encourages commercialization and allows Florida small businesses to fund research projects with federal capital to meet their technological potential.

For more information, visit http://www.eflorida.com/phase0.

FHTCC Finds New Home in Heathrow
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) has relocated its headquarters to the new Economic Development Center at Heathrow.  FHTCC’s office can now be found at 1055 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746 or reached by telephone at (407)-708-4631. Special thanks to Seminole Community College president, Dr. E. Ann McGee, and her associates for their assistance in making this move possible.

For more information, visit
http://www.scc-fl.edu/heathrow/directions.htm.

Accolades

FIT Professor Receives NASA Funding for Extragalactic Research
Florida Institute of Technology Associate Professor Eric Perlman received a three-year $490,400 grant from NASA’s Space Astrophysics program to conduct research on jets, energetic outflows from the center of galaxies that influence astronaut and satellite activity.

Inovio Biomedical Demonstrates Breakthrough Technology
Electroporation technology developed by Inovio Biomedical has demonstrated a safe method of DNA immunotherapy, in which results could point to tumor treatment for melanoma patients. The research was a collaborative effort on the part of Inovio Biomedical, USF Health and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

UCF Researcher Directs Caribbean Energy Conference
Bill Young, of University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), served as the technical advisor during a continuing program on the use and development of renewable energy in the Caribbean.  Researchers from across the Caribbean presented studies on energy efficiency and toured the FSEC facilities in Cocoa to learn more about sustainable energy applications.

Tampa’s Jon Yob Named Entrepreneur of the Year
Job Yob, president and CEO of Tampa’s Creative Recycling Systems, has been named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2007.  The award recognizes entrepreneurs directing growing businesses that exhibit entrepreneurial excellence in technology.

TBTF Appoints Amy Norman as New CEO and President
The Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) has announced the promotion of Amy Norman to president and CEO.  She succeeds Andy Hafer, who will become the director of TBTF’s Emerging Companies Academy, a TBTF program that promotes entrepreneurial skills. In addition, Norman has been selected as one of 48 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year finalists.

USF Gives High School Students a Chance to Get Hands-On
Through its Health Professions Summer Academy, the University of South Florida (USF) gave 26 high school students the opportunity to explore career possibilities in the medical field.  Students experienced the reality of a health profession through hands-on experiments at USF’s College of Medicine laboratories and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.

Did You Know?
The three Corridor universities, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and University of Florida, combined have awarded more than 700,000 Bachelor, Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

Calendar of Events
The following events are taking place in or around Corridor’s 23-county region:

“Strategy… Your Guardrails for Success” Seminar
Presented by: Alpha Omega Title
Thursday, July 12, 8 to 10 a.m.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
615 Channelside Dr. Suite 108, Tampa
For event information, visit http://www.tampachamber.com/ci_events.asp.

Business Opportunities in Japan
Presented by: Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise Florida
Monday, July 16, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Tampa Port Authority Board Room
1101 Channelside Drive, Tampa
For event information, visit http://www.tampachamber.com/ci_events.asp.

Will My Business Survive: IT Disaster Recovery
Presented by: Beacon Benefits Consulting
Tuesday, July 17, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Disney Entrepreneur Center
315 E. Robinson St. Suite 100, Orlando
For event information, Email jesse@beacone.com.

5 Contact Center Strategies to
Improve Service and Reduce Costs
Presented by: IBM
Wednesday, July 18, 1 to 4 p.m.
Harborview Plaza
3031 North Rocky Point Dr., Tampa
For event information, Email Lorrie.Madigan@genesyslab.com.

Making the Case for IT
Presented by: Tampa Bay Technology Forum and KPMG
Thursday, July 19, 7:30 to 9 a.m.
The Centre Club
123 N. Westshore Blvd., Eighth Floor, Tampa
For event information, visit http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?
e=4ba33175-e9cc-44fb-8a6b-b08a0835e75d.

Empowering Women for Small Business Success
Presented by: FIT National Center for Small Business Success
Friday, August 3, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Florida Institute of Technology, Gleason Auditorium, Melbourne
For event information, visit www.ncsbi.fit.edu.

Tampa Bay Tech Jam 2007
Presented by: TBTF Foundation and Syniverse Technologies
Thursday, August 16, 6 to 10 p.m.
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay
For event information, visit http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/info/summary.aspx?e=2fa7f024-275a-4d66-bcdd-2efc642cbee5.

Inside Florida’s High Tech Corridor is published by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Inc. (FHTCC) and its economic development partners. The FHTCC is an initiative of the University of Central Florida (http://www.ucf.edu), the University of South Florida (http://www.usf.edu) and the University of Florida (http://www.ufl.edu). For more information visit our Web site at (http://www.floridahightech.com), or contact one of the region’s economic development partners listed at http://www.floridahightech.com/linkslibrary/economic_dev_org.htm.

Florida High Tech Corridor Link Library
For a comprehensive list of FHTCC University Partners; Community Colleges; Economic Development Organizations; Technology Groups & Programs; Workforce Boards & Organizations; Technology Incubators & Venture Capital Organizations; and, Industry Organizations visit the Florida High Tech Corridor link library at http://www.floridahightech.com/linkslibrary.