Retired space shuttle Atlantis has begun a new career as centerpiece of a 90,000-sq.-ft., $100-million attraction at the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex.
Opened at Lake Nona "Medical City" in 2009, UCF’s College of Medicine graduated its first class of physicians in May 2013; research funding in FY2012 exceeded $10 million.
Northrup Grumman will open a “Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence,” adding more than 900 jobs, including hundreds of engineering positions.
Photo: Tim Shortt/Florida Today
Lockheed Martin Orlando facility
SeaWorld Orlando
Universal Harry Potter
Daytona International Speedway is overhauling its front-stretch grandstands, and Hard Rock International has plans to build a fourth Florida-based Hard Rock Hotel on Daytona Beach.
Livable, walkable Baldwin Park is one example of an East Central new urban neighborhood inspired by the past.
Photo: Doug Scaletta
AAA corporate headquarters
Work continues on the much-anticipated 61.5-mile SunRail commuter rail line across East Central Florida.
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Business Florida 2014 - The Regions
East Central Florida
Cocoa, Daytona Beach, Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Melbourne, Orlando, Titusville
East Central at a Glance
Demographics for the East Central region can be found at Business Florida's interactive map of Florida.
Universities/Colleges
• Adventist University of Health Sciences
• Beacon College
• Bethune-Cookman University
• Daytona State College
• Eastern Florida State College
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Full Sail University
• Lake-Sumter Community College
• Rollins College
• Seminole State College of Florida
• Stetson University
• University of Central Florida
• Valencia College
Airports
• Daytona Beach International
• Kissimmee Gateway Airport
• Melbourne International
• Orlando International
• Orlando Sanford International
Seaports
• Port Canaveral
Spaceports
• Kennedy Space Center
While the longtime economic stalwarts —Tourism and Aviation/Aerospace — continue to thrive in East Central Florida, increased activity in life sciences, simulation and other up-and-coming industry sectors is helping to broaden this region’s economic base.
In 2012, Orlando set another tourism record, surpassing 57 million visitors. Along Florida’s "space coast," the flight-tested facilities and skilled workforce birthed by NASA’s shuttle program continue to attract companies needing ready technological infrastructure and expertise.
For the second straight year, Port Canaveral set records for cruise traffic volume and port revenue, up 21% and 17% respectively in 2012. Canaveral is today North America’s second busiest cruise port and is preparing to handle larger ships and more cargo by deepening and widening its main shipping channel. Construction continues on the first leg of the SunRail commuter train system connecting Orlando to Volusia County with an anticipated start in May 2014, and All Aboard Florida, the privately financed train service that is expected to begin carrying passengers between Orlando and Miami by 2015, is actively securing rights-of-way along its proposed route.
WHO LIVES HERE
Young and old In metro Orlando, two-thirds of the popu-lation is under age 44. Sumter County, where just under half of the total population is age 65 or older, has a renowned and thriving retirement community ("The Villages").
Multiple cultures Latin influences are strong here, especially in Osceola County, where Hispanics make up 48% of the total population, compared to 23% statewide.
Technically savvy Brevard County, focal point for Florida’s Aviation industry, boasts 48 engineers per 1,000 workers, more than any of the nation’s 25 most populated metro areas. STEM jobs here account for nearly 27% of the total workforce, fueling innovation and attracting double the national average of patents per 10,000 workers.
