Rochelle Broder-Singer | 6/1/2010

Strengths

Sanford-Burnham is one of several research institutes that give Florida international clout. [Photo: Michael Cairns]

» The state has a solid base of universities and research institutions. The Carnegie Foundation has ranked eight universities in the state very high or high as research institutions. “And with the presence of Scripps (Jupiter), Torrey Pines (Port St. Lucie), Sanford-Burnham (Orlando), SRI (St. Petersburg) and others, Florida is solidly on the map on a national and international basis,” says Robin Kovaleski, executive director of the Florida Venture Forum.

» The Florida LambdaRail, a non-profit organization, connects the state’s major research institutes to each other via a high-speed network, allowing faculty members, researchers and students to collaborate with each other, despite the state’s expansive geography.

Florida’s Greatest Research Hits IBM PC: The original greatest technology hit to come out of Florida is the IBM personal computer, born at the company’s Boca Raton campus and introduced in 1981. Development took just one year.

» NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is a center for R&D activities in space travel, rocket propulsion, biology, life support, microbial contamination and more. It’s a powerful catalyst for private-sector and university research.

» Florida’s attributes make it a natural for solar development, harnessing ocean currents for energy and biomass use. The state’s climate and livability make it an attractive place to live for researchers.

» The state’s diverse demographic makeup “is a microcosm of both the U.S. and the global marketplace, which offers a tremendous advantage for science and medicine,” says Peter von Dyck, chairman and CEO of e-Zassi.com, an online marketplace for the medical industry based in Fernandina Beach. “It allows for research on a highly diverse genetic population base.” Florida has the largest proportion of senior citizens (age 60 or older) in the U.S. — 23% — making it an excellent location for research into aging and issues that the nation’s fastest-growing population segment faces.

» The wealth in areas such as Palm Beach and Miami has allowed basic research institutions to pursue funding for programs that might not be supported by government grants. “In environments such as these, the researchers can often directly interact with donors who are willing to support research programs that might not have been funded through the ‘classic’ channels,” says Anthony Carvalloza, director of information technology services at Scripps Florida.

» State government spending on R&D is far above average. In 2007, for every $1 million in state GDP, the state government spent $131 on R&D vs. the nationwide average of $89 per $1 million in GDP.

 

Weaknesses

» Venture capital firms invested 32 cents in Florida companies per $1,000 of gross state product in 2008, compared to the U.S. average of $2 per $1,000 of gross domestic product.

» The state has provided little of the seed capital needed to attract more venture capital investment. “We have not been doing the very early venture-stage investing in ourselves,” says David L. Day, director of UF’s Office of Technology Licensing and Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator. Thirty-five other states are already providing this type of capital.

» In 2007, less than 1% of the gross state product was spent on research and development, making Florida No. 41 in the nation on R&D intensity, according to the National Science Foundation. The nationwide average was 2.62%.

» Florida has no state policy mandating the use of renewable energy. “We need to have an energy policy that will create the demand for renewable energy sources,” says Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast.

» Because the state has a strong entrepreneurial environment and numbers of research-economy workers who have been downsized or moved on from companies such as IBM, Motorola and even NASA, it’s fertile ground for technology entrepreneurs. But venture capitalists and those involved in research commercialization say Florida lacks experienced managers to run companies.