University of Central Florida (UCF) President Alexander Cartwright, Ph.D., joined University of South Florida (USF) President Rhea Law and University of Florida (UF) President Kent Fuchs, Ph.D., at Synapse Summit 2022 to celebrate a 25-year legacy of innovation as partners in the Florida High Tech Corridor and unveil a commitment to “unleash the region’s ‘expotential.’”
The three university presidents participated in a discussion moderated by The Corridor CEO Paul Sohl, retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, about the hallmark partnership approach, the role of universities in Florida’s innovation economy and how their universities are preparing the next generation of innovators.
As leaders reflected on The Corridor’s rich history and shared their vision for the future, their commitment to “unleash the region’s ‘expotential’” conveyed a new promise built around four themes that will cement its strategy moving forward: boundary-breaking collaboration, community-driven innovation, serving the underserved and maximizing resources to fuel meaningful outcomes.
Three significant themes emerged from the panel discussion.
1. The state of innovation in Florida is strong and accelerating
“COVID accelerated a lot of things and one of those is the perception nationally of our state and of innovation in our state,” said Fuchs. He called the “triangle of universities” a major source of this innovation and each president cited examples – from collectively expending $2 billion in research, to securing more patents than other major tech hubs in the nation, and increasingly being known as the location to pursue and launch new ideas.
“As Florida works to become one of the top 10 economies in the world by 2030, our universities and our partnerships will play an integral role in achieving that goal,” said Law. Cartwright added, “When I came to Orlando, I noticed the difference in attitude. Florida has this attitude. People have taken risks here and been successful. Their tolerance for taking risks and trying new things is higher. That’s huge for research, economic development and education.”
2. The partnership model of The Corridor reflects the collaborative attitude that is critical for the high-tech industry’s future
“Innovative partnerships are part of our DNA, and coupling with industry will continue to be the key for new research, commercialization and talent-building,” said Cartwright. All agreed that Florida’s state university system is unique, encouraging students and faculty to think differently, engage with the community and focus on work that makes a societal impact.
3. Through their alliances and collaborations, the universities are ready (more than ever) to tackle the speed and rate of change occurring in the tech industry, across businesses, in their own institutions, in the state and throughout the world
As an example, recognizing the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI), leaders at UF added courses for students from all disciplines – including arts and humanities – to teach them how AI is applied in all facets of our personal and professional lives. Similarly, Law acknowledged that USF and its partner institutions must collaborate to more quickly solve societal problems and prepare students for careers that do not yet exist.
Thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, resource organizations and others from the innovation community in Florida and beyond enjoyed a front-row seat to the presidents’ conversation and brand reveal, both in person and online. A recording will also be made available to subscribers of The Corridor’s new podcast: Tech’s Potential.
For the last 25 years, The Corridor has been a force multiplier, harnessing the power of “coopetition” to create a high-tech center of gravity along the I-4 corridor. Its unwavering commitment to connect, collaborate and convene partners across academia, industry and in the community has nurtured a robust innovation economy across 23 counties in Florida.
Together with its partners, The Corridor has generated billions of dollars in downstream economic impacts through initiatives that accelerate research and development, inspire and train students to pursue STEM-based careers, and advance the quality of life in our communities through technological innovation and technology-enabled initiatives.
Complementing proven initiatives like The Corridor’s Matching Grants Research Program, newer programs such as Cenfluence, the Central Florida Cluster Initiative, and a formalized mentorship program for women business owners pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards exhibit an intensified focus on core themes driving the new brand.
Melbourne’s Codecraft Works, an education technology company supporting technical workforce development, is one of many businesses that has benefitted from The Corridor’s efforts to foster boundary-breaking collaborations with its three universities.
As a member of Cenfluence’s Learning Sciences + Human Performance Cluster, Codecraft Works benefitted from tailored support to identify and apply for the Futures Forum on Learning, a prestigious national competition with a prize pool of more than $4 million. As a finalist, the company was required to partner with a learning sciences researcher. Leveraging The Corridor’s UCF relationship, Cenfluence facilitated a partnership with Michelle Taub, Ph.D. assistant professor and core faculty in learning sciences and educational research at UCF.
Together, the partners finalized a proposal aimed at supporting adults in gaining credible work experience in target industries through hands-on job-task performance in a virtual environment. If they win the Futures Forum on Learning, the team already has a letter of support for a 1:1 funding match from The Corridor to maximize the impacts of Codecraft Works’ collaboration with university researchers.
Learn more about The Corridor and how to connect at www.floridahightech.com.