December: A time for reflection and to look forward to the year to come

As we close out a stellar year for the Florida High Tech Corridor, our team is taking stock of what has been accomplished across the 23 counties of the region and the many individual and collective achievements that create the groundwork for future success.

Each day, The Corridor team is proud to work in partnership with institutions, individuals and small and medium businesses to transform and elevate the economy across the region. There are few geographic locations in the U.S. — or even the world — that match the potential of our region with its thriving research universities, its unique technologies developed in a future-focused private sector, its business-friendly environment, its rising talent pool and its fast-growing population.

In our new report, we've collected some of the high points of the past fiscal year which also serve as a window into the future of the region. There are so many facets to our mission to elevate and advance the region's economy, but this report provides a brief snapshot of the work our team undertakes to accomplish these goals.

We celebrate the achievements of the three leading Florida research universities which form the innovation core of The Corridor Region: the University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and University of Florida. The Corridor's signature Matching Grants Research Program brings the expertise of faculty researchers together with cutting-edge private enterprise. The Corridor's?$3.8 million investment leveraged an additional?$4.7 million from the private sector to advance these crucial projects.?And we applaud the more than 300 innovative companies served through The Corridor's clustering initiative, Cenfluence, and the?FL FAST?initiative.

The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in these small and mid-size firms who bring depth and diversity to the region's innovation ecosystem.?In all, The Corridor team generated more than $1.4 million in new funding to support these programs. If the Florida High Tech Corridor Region were its own country, the combined $600 billion annual gross domestic product would be larger than many countries, including that of Sweden and Norway. The region has?the busiest public and private space sector in the world, a? burgeoning semiconductor industry, world-class photonics and optics capabilities and, across its more than 19,000 square miles, a thriving life sciences sector and fast-growing cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech, environmental and ocean tech companies. From legendary inventors who have created world-changing technology to a talent pipeline where the spirit of discovery shines bright in our youngest citizens, the Florida High Tech Corridor is unlike anywhere else.

Visit our annual report to learn more about The Corridor ecosystem, its recent achievements and how we're working together toward new achievements on the horizon. To all our colleagues, friends and community members, have a safe and happy holiday season!

With deepest regards,?

Paul Sohl

Rear Adm. USN (ret)

CEO, Florida High Tech Corridor