Peering into Space

SPOTLIGHT

With $2.5 million from a strategic funding initiative, the University of Florida is venturing further into space, so to speak, with its UF Space Mission Institute. The institute is designed to bring together researchers and scientists from around the school for space-related collaboration.

Although the university is not new to space research, the institute brings together more than 100 faculty members who do space-related research in a range of fields, from agriculture to astronomy to physics and more. It will include researchers affiliated with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the College of Pharmacy and others.

The institute also will likely provide seed funding for space-related projects and help train Florida’s space workforce.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• Gainesville-based OneSixOne Ventures has invested $950,000 into Rain AI, a chip startup company in San Francisco. The investment was linked to Rain AI’s $8-million Series A extension round and was the largest investment for the accelerator and venture fund. Rain AI leaders are focused on building cost- and energy-efficient hardware for artificial intelligence.

MANUFACTURING

• Stellar Energy of Jacksonville plans to triple its manufacturing footprint this year as it invests $28 million toward production of its turbine inlet air chilling systems and modular cooling systems. The project will add 250 jobs.

HEALTH CARE

• Baptist Health and Compass Surgical Partners are launching several ambulatory surgical centers under the Horizon Surgery Center name. The first location is on the campus of Baptist Medical Center Beaches in Jacksonville Beach, with more locations planned throughout Northeast Florida.

RETAIL

• Layoffs of 218 employees will begin this month at a Fanatics fulfillment center in Jacksonville. The company’s 1,500 employees at Fanatics’ Jacksonville headquarters will be unaffected. The layoffs are expected to continue through August.

LOGISTICS

• Publix has paid a little over $27 million for a 168,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in St. Johns County. It’s located on more than 10 acres and is part of Legend Point Logistics Crossing.
• The clothing retailer Primark will open a 550,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Jacksonville that will serve as a focal point for its business in the South.

HIGHER EDUCATION

• The University of Florida has named J. Scott Angle as its permanent provost after he served in an interim role beginning since July. Angle was previously UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
• Jacksonville University will launch the Cost Honors College in 2025. The school already has an honors program with 220 students but will transition that program into the college.

NON-PROFITS

• Jacksonville’s Museum of Science & History has selected Alistair D.M. Dove as its CEO. He was previously vice president of science and education at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
• Warren E. Piatt was named CEO of the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project. Piatt recently retired from a 42-year Army career and was most recently the 57th director of the Army staff.

CRUISES

• Norwegian Cruise Line will offer a passenger cruise from Jacksonville starting in November 2025. The three-year agreement with JAXPORT will feature the 2,394-guest capacity Norwegian Gem, sailing to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

REBRANDING

• Lay/Duckworth Construction of Jacksonville has rebranded as LAY Construction. The company was purchased in 2019 by Coleman Lay.

AREA CODES

• The Jacksonville area has another area code. Starting in late February, those in the region requesting a new phone number or an additional phone line began to receive a 324 area code because phone numbers with the 904 area code are in short supply. The change will require 10-digit dialing when local calls are made.

IN MEMORIAM

“Whether or not the Florida experiment turned out exactly as planned, it was still a great idea.”

— Winfred “Win” Phillips, a longtime leader at the University of Florida, died in February at the age of 83. Phillips joined UF in 1988 as dean of engineering and spent 11 years in the role. From 1999 to 2023, he served in a variety of prominent leadership positions at UF and led efforts during President Bernie Machen’s tenure to increase the university’s research footprint and productivity. Phillips retired last year after serving for nearly 10 years as executive chief of staff for the office of the president.

Tags: Northeast, Technology/Innovation