Corridor NEWS RELEASES

FHTCC Recognizes Lockheed Martin with Innovation Award

Area Technology Company Honored as Part of Metro Orlando EDC’s
William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Awards

Heathrow, Fla. (September 17, 2009) – Lockheed Martin became the third annual recipient of The Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s  (FHTCC) Innovation Award today during the 2009 William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Awards hosted by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

“The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is proud to recognize Lockheed Martin for serving as an innovation leader with a history of stimulating technology growth in our region,” remarked FHTCC President Randy Berridge during the program.  “In this day of entrepreneurs and university spin-outs, we sometimes overlook companies that have been innovating for decades like our friends at Lockheed Martin.  It is most appropriate that this award go to a company where Bill Schwartz made a major impact.”

Richard (Rick) Hall, vice president of business strategy and development for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, accepted the award on behalf of Lockheed Martin’s two large divisions represented in Orlando:  Missiles and Fire Control; and, Simulation, Training and Support. 

“We are proud to be part of the Central Florida community,” said Hall, “and we are committed both to helping grow the technology community here and to working with our school systems to grow the next generation of technology leaders.”

Lockheed Martin is one of the largest partners in the Council’s Matching Grants Research Program, which fosters applied research between the universities and their high tech industry partners at a 2-to-1 company match.  Over the program’s 13-year history, Lockheed Martin has funded more than $5 million in matched research dollars, on 73 projects with 37 faculty members at two of the three Corridor universities, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida.

This is the third year that the Florida High Tech Corridor Council has participated in the Schwartz Awards by presenting its own award.  In 2008, the Council honored Planar Energy Devices, a lithium-ion battery developer that manufactures more powerful and longer-lasting energy storage products.  In its inaugural year, FHTCC’s 2007 Innovation Award went to OptiGrate, a UCF spin-out company that designs and manufactures its patented holographic optical glass technology.

The annual event is held in honor of the late William C. Schwartz, a community leader whose innovations in the field of Optics and Photonics aided the creation of a major industry sector in Central Florida and expanded technology development over numerous disciplines.  Held at the Sheraton Orlando-North in Maitland, the Schwartz awards hosted more than 300 guests from the Orlando business and technology community.

The main Schwartz Innovation Award recipients from each of the four counties served by the EDC – Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties – and from the City of Orlando, included:  

• 360Ed, a digital media company delivering interactive and educational computer programming for schools;
• Lake County-based G & T Conveyor, which assists airport security measures with its “secure claim device” for passenger luggage;
• Smart City Telecom, a local provider of hospital-specific content on televisions in patient rooms;
• INViSiON Industries, the Osceola-based pioneer of overhead vehicle video systems and seat-back entertainment; and,
• the City of Oviedo, which implemented a water conservation incentive program for residents’ irrigation systems.

Judge’s awards were presented to Children’s Home Society of Florida for its annual Florida Innovation Symposium, which brought together partners in child and family advocacy, and to AT&T for its donation to the Parramore Kidz Zone project that enhanced computer accessibility for schoolchildren across the community.

About the Florida High Tech Corridor Council
The Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) is an economic development initiative of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF).  The mission of FHTCC is to grow high tech industry in the region through research, workforce development and marketing programs.

A partnership involving more than 20 local and regional economic development organizations (EDOs) and 14 community colleges, the Council is co-chaired by the presidents of UCF, USF and UF.  The Council includes the presidents of two of the community colleges, the president of Florida Institute of Technology and representatives of high tech industry. 

The unique partnership has resulted in a strategic approach to high tech economic development that involves matching funds research, workforce development and a marketing program leveraging governmental, EDO and corporate budgets on a regional rather than local basis.

For more information, visit www.floridahightech.com.