East Central/Space Coast - Broadening Appeal

The National Center for Simulation uses life-like technology for military training. [Photo: The National Center for Simulation]

Local and state leaders wooed Sanford-Burnham Institute to the area with an attractive package of financial incentives, saying it had the potential to become the biggest local catalyst for change since Walt Disney put down roots here. Since opening in 2009, Sanford-Burnham has hired more than half of the 30 lead scientists it intends to bring in to develop treatments for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other pervasive illnesses.

In addition to biotech, the region has developed nationally recognized clusters in digital media, agritechnology, aviation/aerospace and software.

East Central Florida is home to a thriving community of companies and organizations that specialize in modeling, simulation and training, an industry that's branching out from its original military roots into applications for healthcare, homeland security, video gaming, film and television, academia and other uses. The National Center for Simulation is located in the 1,025-acre Central Florida Research Park, the nation's seventh-largest research park, which also includes among its 120 tenants several military operations and UCF's Institute for Simulation and Training, which is credited with developing the nation's first master's and Ph.D. programs in simulation and human performance enhancement.

"What's unique about Orlando is that right here in the research park, you have all of the acquisition agencies for the military agencies except for the Air Force," says Tom Baptiste, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general who took over this year as president and executive director of the National Center for Simulation. "Plus a world-class university ... plus a cluster of over 100 world-class industry partners, companies that have been involved in this business for years. And the proximity of the I-4 corridor from Tampa to the Space Coast provides close cooperation and partnership."

Elsewhere in Orlando, UCF houses the Center for Emerging Media and the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy downtown, and the privately funded Full Sail University continues to expand its campus along with its roster of students preparing for careers in digital media.

Supporting entrepreneurship

One of the biggest boosts to this region's economy has been a surge in entrepreneurship. East Central Florida is today known for programs that encourage small business development and support entrepreneurs with big dreams and even bigger accomplishments. In fact, ,i>Entrepreneur magazine has called Metro Orlando the nation's "Number One City for Entrepreneurs."

With its eight branches in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped some 130 emerging companies create more than $500 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 jobs since its founding in 1999. At the same time, UCF is using a $1-million grant from the Florida Legislature to seed its "economic gardening" concept, accelerating job creation by helping second-stage companies expand at a faster pace.

Business and technology incubators in Brevard and Volusia counties also are thriving. At the Technological Research and Development Authority's Business Innovation Center near Melbourne International Airport, for example, startup technology firms get the advice they need to commercialize new technologies and become financially viable. The TRDA Center is housed at the Florida Tech Research Park, a partnership of the Florida Institute of Technology, Harris Corporation, Northrop-Grumman, Rockwell International and D.B.A. Systems.

In addition, Orlando is home to the Disney Entrepreneur Center, a public-private partnership that houses 13 "helper agencies" for emerging and established businesses. In Winter Park, Rollins College offers an M.B.A. program that has been rated the best in Florida by Forbes magazine, and the Central Florida Partnership and its Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce have made a concerted effort to reach out to entrepreneurs through educational programs.

In May, the U.S. Small Business Administration named Orlando entrepreneur Waymon Armstrong its 2010 Small Business Person of the Year for his work with Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc., a company he founded in 1997 to create PC-based educational games and simulation. Named by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing small firms in the nation, the company originally concentrated on aviation technology, but branched into defense industry work after Sept. 11, 2001.

Athletes and teams from around the world are drawn to the unique facilities available at the National Training Center in Clermont. [Photo: Kelly LaDuke]

Teeming with amenities

To continue attracting new industry and residents, East Central Florida is adding to its already rich list of amenities. The proposed SunRail commuter train system will carry passengers through Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties starting in 2012, and a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa is planned to begin service in 2015.

Air travel also continues to get easier to and from all parts of the region. In addition to Orlando International Airport, Orlando Sanford International, Daytona Beach International and Melbourne International offer major airline presence. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, one of the world's premier flight schools, has undergone a major update of its facilities and aircraft.

With the opening of the new Amway Center in late 2010, this area will boast the most technologically advanced sports arena in the country. The facility will be home court for the Orlando Magic NBA team, as well as a leading venue for top national concerts and other events. Meanwhile, plans are under way for the new Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center, with multiple theaters and rehearsal facilities, and renovations to the Citrus Bowl, a historic stadium that hosts two NCAA college football bowl games annually: the Capital One Bowl and the Citrus Bowl.

This region also supports a growing array of specialty sports venues and events. Daytona Beach International Speedway is expanding its presence with a nearby shopping and dining complex. The racetrack supports not only its own workforce, but also a cluster of national auto parts manufacturers and distributors.

East Central Florida also is home to two pro golf tournaments: the PGA's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the LPGA's Tour Championship, which is returning to Florida in 2010 at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando.

At Walt Disney World, a co-branding effort with ESPN has put more emphasis on bringing televised sports events to the newly named ESPN Wide World of Sports complex on the resort's property. In Lake County, two-time Olympic U.S. softball gold medalist and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dot Richardson leads the 300-acre National Training Center in Clermont that has attracted more than 160 amateur sports teams to train and play. Osceola County also plays host to many amateur sports events and is looking to create more facilities to cultivate this growing industry.

Tags: Business Florida