When it comes to technology, Orlando Business Journal readers have shown steadfast interest in local stories with immediate economic impact.
As such, the three most-read tech stories of 2023 were about activities at Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT), Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Tupperware Brands Corp. (NYSE: TUP) and involved jobs, growth and real estate development.
All three companies made big moves in Central Florida this year. Here’s a recap:
Giant X-ray scanner made in Orlando brings down cost of F-35 fighter jet
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has been able to reduce production costs of its F-35 combat aircraft with help from the Orlando office of Rogers, Minn.-based North Star Imaging and its powerful scanner that makes post-production evaluation more efficient — and therefore less costly.
The large-scale, 9-million-electron-volts 3D/4D X-ray CT scanning system developed by North Star Imaging is designed to scan larger and denser jet components than other existing scanners, including steel pieces that are 12 inches thick.
The system, which launched in late July, can scan parts up to 44 inches-by-70 inches in size.
Amazon exec explains why his firm chose Brevard County for $120M telecom project.
One of the reasons Amazon decided to build a new $120 million project on Florida's Space Coast is a Brevard County infrastructure investment that allows for an expedited construction timeline, according to Amazon's Steve Metayer, vice president of production operations for Project Kuiper.
Seattle-based Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) was the first company to sign a lease at the Merritt Island Launch & Landing Facility, committing $120 million to build a 100,000-plus-square-foot satellite processing facility for Project Kuiper, its satellite broadband network.
The announcement was made July 21.
Part of the Space Florida and Florida Department of Transportation collaboration — the Spaceport Improvement Program — the Launch & Landing Facility utility project is one of several designed to help the Sunshine State draw more commercial space activity and the economic benefits it provides, said Greater Orlando Aviation Authority CEO Kevin Thibault, formerly a secretary for FDOT, in a prepared statement.
AI predicts Orlando-based Tupperware's stock will surge. Here's why.
The stock price for Tupperware Brands Corp. (NYSE: TUP) took plenty of punches this year.
It dropped 39.44% in the month leading up to this Sept. 18 story — yet Stockscan, a website that uses deep-learning AI to analyze volume changes, price changes, market cycles and similar stocks, predicted the Tupperware stock will surge and be up 622.52% by January 2024.
That may sound far-fetched, but AI-driven stock predictors have arrived and likely are here to stay. However, when writing for Yahoo Finance, Omor Ibne Ehsan cautioned that using “AI as a replacement for human analysts instead of a tool” is bound to deliver “poor and underwhelming results.”
As of the writing of this roundup, the stock is trading at $1.91 per share and down 53% year-to-date.
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