Florida High Tech Corridor Council: May 2005 Newsletter

INSIDE FLORIDA’S HIGH TECH CORRIDOR

Web archive

May 2005

National Science Foundation Awards UF $6.9 Million Grant
The University of Florida (UF) has been awarded a $6.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a coalition of universities and colleges throughout the Southeast as part of a program to increase the number of domestic minority students earning doctorates in science, engineering and mathematics.
The program entitled the Southeast Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate (SEAGEP) will target underrepresented minority groups. The program is also expected to develop strategies for supporting and preparing all students who are interested in academic careers.

For additional information, visit http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2005news/ufnsfgrant.htm.

USF Launches New Initiative on Medical Devices
The College of Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF) has recently launched a new initiative to meet the needs of the medical device manufacturing sector in the university service area. A new Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs with an emphasis on medical devices has been developed to provide requisite technical skills to professionals in, or anticipating a move, to the medical device industry.
The USF College of Engineering has been recognized as being the first program in the Southeastern United States and the third program nationally to offer, as well as sponsor, a regulatory affairs program from an engineering college with an emphasis in medical devices.

For additional information, visit http://imse.eng.usf.edu/fl_0303acad_certs.htm.

UCF Teams Up With the U.S. Geological Survey
The University of Central Florida (UCF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will build a joint facility to study Central Florida’s water and how it is affected by stresses including urban growth and hurricanes.
The five-year, $1.7 million project includes construction of a shared 18,000-square-foot research facility in the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to the UCF campus. In addition to the new research facility, the agreement calls for UCF faculty and graduate students to conduct joint research projects with USGS scientists.

For additional information, visit
http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413206c3010 220adacf2006e46&mode=news.

Local Educators Experience a High Speed, High Tech Good Time
Volusia and Flagler County educators recently attended a Modeling, Simulation & Training (MS&T) techCAMP, which included presentations at Daytona USA, as well as a tour of the virtual reality training company, Raydon. techCAMPs, hosted by techPATH – an initiative of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council – provide local educators the opportunity to learn about the educational and career opportunities this rapidly growing industry can offer their students.
The workshop included presentations covering the history and overview of simulation; use of simulation in the military; simulation technology in theme park attractions; virtual and augmented reality, learning and training; and, special populations.

For additional information, visit http://www.floridahightech.com/pressRoom/techcamps.htm.

Florida Develops New Web Site for Job Seekers and Employers
The state partners Workforce Florida and the Agency for Workforce Innovation have teamed up with 24 regional workforce boards to create the Employ Florida network of workforce services and resources.
The Employ Florida affiliate brand provides a tool for businesses and other customers not familiar with the structure of Florida’s workforce system and/or local or state workforce brands. The network helps individuals find workforce services and resources easily by researching a common name.

For additional information, call (866) FLA-2345 or visit http://www.employflorida.net.

Students Receive Hands-on Training at the Orlando Science Center
The Orlando Science Center has launched a new program, the Microscopy Discovery Lab, focusing on the scanning electron microscope. The program offers a one-hour class as well as a hands-on demonstration of experiments using the powerful microscope.
The lab is designed to open young minds to the world of science and give them a chance to experience the excitement of it first-hand. The lab stations, which more than 1,000 students have utilized, are able to accommodate 120 students at a time.

For additional information, visit http://www.osc.org.

Education Summit Discusses Future Success in Math and Science
A new K-12 educational strategy was unveiled before a crowd of more than 400 educators, government officials and businessmen at the Regional Board of Advisors Education Summit, which was recently held at the Rosen Centre Hotel on International Drive in Orlando.
Eight Central Florida counties will take part in PRISM “Promoting Regional Improvement in Science and Math” – an innovative regional strategy to make Central Florida’s school systems models of global excellence in science and math education.

The project was sponsored by O-Force, myregion.org, and the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition.

For additional information, visit http://www.o-force.org.

Summit to Showcase Medical Technology Innovation
The University of Florida (UF) Foundation will sponsor a one-day conference, “Medical Technology Innovation at UF: Emerging Business Opportunities,” to showcase the university’s participation in medical technology research and provide an overview of current trends from top executives in the medical device industry. The conference, which will take place May 13 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville, is free of charge, but pre-registration is required.
For additional information or to register for the event, visit
http://www.uff.ufl.edu/stakeholders/CorporateLeadersSummit or by calling the UF Foundation’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations at (352) 392-0838.

Fifth Annual Florida High Tech Corridor Directory Released
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council and the Maddux Report have released the fifth annual directory of high tech companies in Florida’s High Tech Corridor. Since the Corridor’s expansion to include the counties of Alachua and Putnam, the directory is an even more comprehensive listing of thousands of larger high tech employers located throughout the Corridor.

Every year Maddux partners with the Florida High Tech Corridor Council to collect information on high tech companies in each of the Corridor’s six high tech sectors, which are: aviation and aerospace; information technology; medical technologies and life sciences; microelectronics and nanotechnology; modeling, simulation and training; and, optics and photonics.
Copies of the publication are available through the Maddux Report for $25 plus tax and shipping and handling. To obtain a copy, contact Marcia Turner at Marcia@Maddux.com or (800) 226-4394 ext. 301

Did You Know?
FloridaTechMart (FTM) is a free marketplace which connects more than 1,800 technology suppliers with buyers of their products and services. FTM is a no cost service that technology companies throughout the 23-county Corridor are invited to register with to provide greater exposure for their company. It also offers companies the ability to highlight their products and services useful to businesses, governmental agencies and the general public. To learn more about this free service and how it may benefit your company, please visit www.floridatechmart.com and click “About Us’ for more details.

Corridor People in the News

Robert Rohrlack Jr. has been recently appointed senior vice president of business recruitment and retention of Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI). Bob comes from Progress Energy Economic Development bringing a wealth of experience and private sector credentials to economic development partnership.

Michelle Knapp has been recently appointed senior marketing associate for CNL Investment Company. Michelle comes from Curley & Pynn Public Relations and Marketing Communications, where she worked closely with the Florida High Tech Corridor Council by providing strategic counsel and communications management.

Calendar of Events

The following are events taking place across the Corridor’s 23-county region or the surrounding area, which readers may be interested in attending:

Leadership Strategies & Best Practices Impacting the Florida High Tech Corridor
Presented by: UCF ORBIT
Thursday, May 12 - Friday, May 13 – Orlando Science Center
For event information, visit http://www.orbit.ucf.edu/LEupcoming.asp.

Live Demonstration: Simulator Dynamic Motion Seat
Presented by: Acme Worldwide Enterprises
Thursday, May 12 - Friday, May 13 – National Center for Simulation, Orlando
For event information and RSVP, contact Ron Stiles, NCS at (407) 384-6111.

2nd Annual Florida Tech Transfer Conference
Presented by: The Florida Research Consortium, The Tampa Bay Technology Forum and Central Florida Technology Partnership
Wednesday, May 18 - Thursday, May 19 – The Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando
For event information, visit http://www.flatechtransfer.org.

The Outlook for Venture Investing – Tampa Bay
Presented by: The Florida Venture Forum and the CEO Council of Tampa Bay
Thursday, May 26 – The University Club, Tampa City Center
For event information and RSVP, visit
http://www.floridaventureforum.org/subpage.asp?pagename=events.

National Events

The following calendar items are national happenings in which readers may be interested in attending:

Metro Orlando’s International Summit
Presented by: The Florida Venture Forum and The MIT Enterprise Forum of South Florida
Tuesday, May 3 – The University of Miami School of Business
For event information, visit
http://www.orlando.org/index.php?src=events&srctype=profile&id=81573.

Biotech 2005
Presented by: Council for Entrepreneurial Development
Tuesday, May 24 - Wednesday, May 25 – Sheraton Imperial Hotel, North Carolina
For event information, visit http://www.cednc.org/conferences/biotech/2005.

Bio 2005
Presented by: The Biotechnology Industry Organization
Sunday, June 19 - Wednesday, June 22 – Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia
For event information, visit http://www.bio.org/events/2005.

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 (www.ucf.edu), the University of South Florida (www.usf.edu) and the University of Florida (www.ufl.edu). For more information visit our Web site at www.floridahightech.com, or contact one of the region's economic development partners listed at www.floridahightech.com/linkslibrary.

Florida High Tech Corridor Link Library

Visit the Florida High Tech Corridor link library (www.floridahightech.com)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.