INSIDE FLORIDA'S HIGH TECH CORRIDOR

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September 2006

UF Sets a Record with Half a Billion in Research Funding
With the help of a $13.4 million increase in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Florida (UF) received $518.8 million in research funding during its 2006 fiscal year. In addition to the NIH increase, UF’s total was also aided by several federal sponsors, including the National Science Foundation ($39.6 million), the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($33 million) and the Department of Defense ($23.1 million).

Some of the NIH awards beneficial to UF research facilities included two $2.7 million awards for the UF Institute on Aging, a $2.1 million grant for a biosafety laboratory in UF’s pathogen’s facility and $1.6 million to study an incurable form of blindness that affects thousands of Americans. Industry funding rose from $49.7 million in 2005 to $62.4 million in 2006.

For more information, visit http://www.news.ufl.edu/
2006/08/22/research06.

USF Developing Nanomaterials &
NanomanufacturingResearch Center
The University of South Florida (USF) is proactively seeking to compete for more than $1.3 billion in federal funding with the development of a research center and the hosting of several networking and educational events.

USF’s new Nanomaterials & Nanomanufacturing Research Center, a $4 million facility, will provide a venue for students, faculty, and industry professionals to research, and develop industry-viable innovations. The new lab has a “clean room,” a work room with less than a specified amount of particulate matter that can be found in the air, and a Transmission Electronic Microscope.

Additionally, USF recently hosted the International Conference on the Commercialization of Micro and Nano Systems in Sarasota, which targeted participants from academia, industry and government from around the world. The conference focused on exposing new developments in microelectro mechanical systems (MEMS), and its commercialization potential.

For more information, visit http://nnrc.eng.usf.edu.

UCF Researchers Discover Protein Effective in Blocking HIV-1 Virus
A team of University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers have focused their efforts to test retrocylin, a defense peptide found in primates potentially resistant to the HIV-1 virus.

The research team is led by Associate Professor Alexander Cole of UCF’s College of Biomedical Sciences. Cole was awarded close to $4 million of National Institutes of Health grants through 2011 to continue HIV-1 research and related studies.

HIV-1, the most common form of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, mutates rapidly to overcome antiviral compounds created to prevent infection. Professor Cole’s research demonstrates that after 100 days, the virus develops a weak resistance to retrocylin. Additional laboratory tests will be conducted to further investigate this inhibitor’s effectiveness. If the results are promising, the protein could be developed into a drug that would prevent HIV from entering the body.

For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?
page=article&id=0024004105bd60439010c0c76ce2f006fc7.

Call for Advertisers: florida.HIGH.TECH 2007
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s official publication is accepting advertisers for its next issue – florida.HIGH.TECH 2007.

Used throughout the year in Corridor marketing and public relations activity, thousands of copies are distributed via direct mail and at trade shows throughout the U.S. and abroad. The publication includes a listing of high tech companies in the 23-county Corridor as well as in-depth statistical analysis of sales, employment and the numbers of companies in its targeted high tech sectors. The deadline for advertisement reservations is Oct. 9, 2006.

florida.HIGH.TECH 2007 is entirely underwritten by advertising.

For more information, contact:

Craig Neuman
Marketing Manager
Maddux Business Report
cneuman@Maddux.com
(727) 823-4394, ext. 303

Burnham Institute to Establish Major Research Facility in Corridor
The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, a nonprofit medical research institution, has chosen the Florida High Tech Corridor as the site of its new research facility.

The Institute’s Orlando expansion was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the State of Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, the Tavistock Group and several Florida philanthropists to bring a research institution that would foster the state’s capabilities in biomedical research and development.

One of the Burnham Institute’s main incentives to bring a research facility to Florida was the potential to develop collaborative partnerships with academic institutions in the state that would further the Institute’s research in the life sciences sector. The expansion will eventually add 300 jobs to the Corridor.

For more information, visit http://www.burnham.org/
print.asp?contentID=357.

Corridor Residents Appointed To Newly-Formed State Board
Nine Corridor residents have been appointed to the newly-formed Florida Technology, Research and Scholarship Board.

The 11-member board will develop and approve the criteria for evaluating centers of excellence proposals and 21st Century World Class Scholars awards. The main focus of these programs is to enhance the state’s strengths in science and technology, while identifying emerging developments in these fields.

Corridor residents appointed to the board are:

• Brian McDonald, Consultant with BRM Group, Oldsmar;
• Ann Duncan, President of Vertical Integration, Tampa;
• Charles Davidson, Chair of IT Florida, Orlando;
• Lewis Duncan, President of Rollins College, Winter Park;
• George Gordon, Enporion, Tampa;
• Chris Hart, Enterprise Florida, Orlando;
• James Mule, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa;
• Stephen Mason, President and CEO of BayCare Health System, Clearwater; and,
• Donald Sullivan, Former Senator, Tampa.

For more information, visit http://www.flbog.org/21stCentury.

Northrop Grumman Excited with Tests of New SALTI
The Northrop Grumman Corporation, working under Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funding, has successfully designed, built and tested one of the first synthetic aperture laser radars for tactical imaging (SALTI).

The SALTI modifies traditional synthetic aperture radar technologies. With the use of laser technology, the SALTI provides a more accurate and sharper resolution of images aiding tremendously in aircraft missions concerning national defense.

Northrop Grumman will continue its series of tests of the SALTI, with the purpose of assessing its capabilities from a multitude of ranges.

For more information, visit http://www.irconnect.com/noc/
pages/news_printer.html?d=103583&print=1

Harris Corporation Awarded $12.5 Million Contract
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems has awarded the Harris Corporation a nine-month, $12.5 million contract to provide the Distributed Targeting Processor (DTP) and the Mass Storage Unit (MSU) for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

The DTP and the MSU will work together to improve the flight crew’s capability to precisely identify and shoot targets.

This contract is the latest in the reciprocal partnership of Harris and Boeing in support of the Super Hornet aircraft. Previous developments by Harris for the Super Hornet include: the Fibre Channel Network Switch; the Tactical Airborne Moving Map Capability; the Digital Video Map Computer; and, the Digital Memory Device.

For more information, visit http://www.harris.com/
view_pressrelease.asp?act=lookup&pr_id=1928.

EA’s Madden NFL 07 Breaks Franchise’s One Week Sales Record
Electronic Arts estimates that customers purchased more than two million copies of Madden NFL 07 in its first week, marking the best first-week performance in the 17-year history of the video game franchise.

Developed by EA’s Orlando studio, EA Tiburon, unit sales are roughly 12 percent higher than one year ago. More than 53 million copies of the video game have been sold since its first edition.

For more information, visit http://info.ea.com.

Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Outbound Mission to Brazil
The Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of One Hundred will embark on its first outbound mission to Brazil on Nov. 5.

The chamber’s five-day mission aims to develop an economic development partnership between Florida companies and two of Brazil’s most important business centers: São Paulo and Curitiba. São Paulo, one of the largest business centers in the world, and Curitiba, rank among the best cities in America in which to do business in.

For more information, contact Maria Hubert at mhubert@tampachamber.com.

Engineering Network Works to Impact Tampa Bay Region
The Tampa Bay Technology Forum’s Engineering Network brings together engineers from all disciplines in an effort to retain and promote the growth of the engineering community in the Tampa Bay region.

The Network’s main focus is to train educators to emphasize the importance of science and math to students in their classes and foster engineering talent that will attract top engineering firms to the region.

The Engineering Network organizes several events throughout the year that focus on exposing participants to promising and established organizations, as well as featuring local entrepreneurs. The most recent event, held on Aug. 24, 2006, featured the participation of Florida High Tech Corridor Council President Randy Berridge. At the event, participants learned about the Corridor’s initiatives and had the opportunity to tour the new Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Research Center at USF.

For membership information or event participation, contact Rachel Cantor at rachel@rcassociatesllc.com.

Celebrating the Business of Biotech
The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute partnered with Enterprise Florida, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Pinellas County Government, Tampa Bay Partnership and the University of South Florida Research Foundation to recently host “Celebrate the Business of Biotech” conference.

The conference was held at the Vincent A. Stabile Research Building and featured Dr. Steven Gillis as the keynote speaker. Gillis, past founder and director of both the Corixa Corporation and the Immunex Corporation, is currently a venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners. The conference included a showcase of 20 biotech companies, a behind-the-scenes tour of the laboratories in the Moffitt Cancer Center and two breakout sessions; “Ten Secrets of Biotech Success” and “Personalized Medicine … How Moffitt Scientists Are Making It A Reality.”

For more information, visit http://www.moffitt.org/Portal/Site.aspx?
spid=441EA76D97DC4C7DB2851B5549FC1FFF&Date=Thursday%2c+
September+07%2c+2006.

Florida Summit on Affordable Living: Attainable Housing
In an effort to address Florida’s pressing attainable housing issue, the Florida Chamber Foundation will convene many of Florida’s most influential policy leaders at the Florida Summit on Affordable Living: Attainable Housing held at the Tampa Convention Center on Sept. 15, 2006.

Summit participants will attend informative sessions that will focus on Florida’s property insurance crisis; the state’s competitive reputation in the midst of the continued increase of housing costs; the latest portfolio of attainable housing solution; and, the identification of the next steps to follow in order to solve the critical housing problem.

The event will feature the participation of Lt. Governor Toni Jennings, Enterprise Florida CEO John Adams, regional leaders, elected officials, public sector practitioners, public-private partnerships, and Florida leadership associations.

For more information, visit http://www.floridaaffordableliving.com.

Workforce Training
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is offering an opportunity to partner with Corridor community colleges on workforce training programs. For more information, please call (800) 406-5555 or contact Fred Mattingly directly at (850) 245-9644 or via e-mail at Fred.Mattingly@fldoe.org.

Accolades

Nancy Howe
Congratulations to Maddux Business Report Publisher Nancy Howe who was recently inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Women’s Hall of Fame. Vicki Morelli and Jeff Bindell Congratulations to techPATH’s Vicki Morelli and Jeff Bindell for their dedicated efforts in the coordination of the recent quarterly techPATH planning session. The session was attended by members of a variety of organizations located within the Corridor’s 23-county region, including academia, high tech employees, nonprofit, science centers, industry associations, workforce boards and economic development organizations. Thanks to Jeff and Vicki for ten years of service in the cultivation of tomorrow’s workforce.

William Lear and S.A. Sherif
Congratulations to University of Florida professors William Lear and S.A. Sherif for developing a small system that ties gas turbines to a heat-operated refrigeration system. The refrigeration used in this new system maximizes gas turbines’ power-generating efficiency while also being capable of diverting gases for cooling in order to produce water obtained from the condensation of its combustion gases.

Michael F. Siemer
Congratulations to founder and CEO of Mydea Technologies Corp. Michael F. Siemer for being among 81 young engineers selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering’s 12th Annual Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

NASA Retirees
Congratulations to Sam Beddingfield, Francis Shill and J. Tall Webb for being recognized with the National Space Club’s 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award annually recognizes individuals who have dedicated their efforts to support the U.S. space program.

ACS Connect
Brandon-based providers of integrated business solutions ACS Connect is celebrating 20 years of service.

Craig Hagen
Governor Jeb Bush recently appointed Craig Hagen to the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council. Hagen, the Orlando-based director of government affairs for Electronic Arts North America, will serve a four-year term.

Did You Know?
In an AOL poll, Tampa was ranked the second-most broadband-wired city in America. The city of San Francisco ranked first.

Calendar of Events
The following events are taking place across the Corridor’s 23-county region or in the surrounding area:

Florida Summit on Affordable Living: Attainable Housing
Presented by: Florida Chamber Foundation
Friday, Sept.15, 2006, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tampa Convention Center ballroom, 333 S. Franklin Street
For more information, visit http://www.floridaaffordableliving.com.

Excellence in Entrepreneurship Certificate Course
Presented by: University of Central Florida’s Technology Incubator
Sessions run from Thursday, Sept. 14 through Friday, Oct. 5, 2006, 6 to 9 p.m.
Disney/SBA National Entrepreneur Center in Downtown Orlando
For more information, visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/events/2006Events/9-14_EECC.html.

Entrepreneurs: Access India … Understanding the Impact and Potential for Economic and Business Success for American Enterprise
Presented by: TiE Florida Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Location: TBA
For event information, visit http://tieflorida.com.

Medical Devices Symposium
Presented by: Florida Medical Manufacturers’ Consortium
Tuesday, Oct. 3 through Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006
Marriott Waterside Hotel, 700 South Florida Avenue, Tampa
For event information, visit http://www.flamedmfg.org.

Sarasota International Design Summit
Presented by: Fast Company Magazine and Ringling School of Art & Design
Monday, Oct. 9 through Wednesday, Oct.11, 2006
The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive
For event information, visit http://www.sarasotadesignsummit.com.

SBIR Phase I Grant Preparation Workshop
Presented by: University of Central Florida Venture Lab
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Partnership II Building at UCF Research Park, 3100 Technology Parkway
For event information, contact Kirstie Chadwick at kchadwick@bus.ucf.edu.

TiE Florida Business Plan Competition: Turn Innovative Ideas into Real Business!
Presented by: TiE Florida and University of Central Florida Technology Incubator
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Location: TBA
For event information, visit http://tieflorida.com.

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.