Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

3. Industry Clusters

"We're making bold efforts to improve what is recognized as one of the country's best business climates."

- Gray Swoope, Secretary of Commerce
President & CEO, Enterprise Florida Inc.

Cleantech

  • Significant solar resources
  • Leader in cellulosic biofuel production
  • Hotbed of ocean energy R&D
  • Growing center for advanced energy storage (battery) technologies


Life Sciences

  • Internationally renowned research institutes with growing clusters of bioscience firms around them
  • 850 companies specialize in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and/or medical devices, with plenty of room and the skilled workforce to support even more


Information Technology

  • 25,000 IT companies employ nearly 240,000 workers
  • Strong presence in such diverse sectors as digital media; modeling, simulation and training; photonics/optics; and mobile technologies


Aviation/Aerospace

  • Nearly 2,000 Florida-based aviation and aerospace companies engage in aircraft system design, testing and production; flight training; propulsion systems; and avionics
  • Numerous military installations serve as catalysts for R&D and sources of highly skilled personnel


Homeland Security / Defense

  • Heavy expertise in aviation/aerospace, information technology, photonics, simulation and materials science
  • Innovative companies pursuing products to secure borders and ports, detect chemical or biological contaminants, enhance cyber security and ensure rapid response to emergency situations


Financial / Professional Services

  • 122,000-plus financial and professional services companies employ 837,000
  • Significant exporter of knowledge-based services throughout the world

Industry clusters spawn innovation
Industry clusters spawn innovation, left to right: Florida National Guard's Joint Emergency Operations Center, St. Augustine; nation's largest solar photovoltaic plant, DeSoto County; cancer drug Taxol, developed at Florida State University. [Photo: Left - Tech Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa; Center - Florida Power & Light Co.]