The Innovation Quarterly is your source for the latest news and insights on Florida's Innovation Economy.  

Spring 2009 Highlights:

• Florida’s National Breakthrough in Clean Energy

• Two Multi-Million Dollar R&D Centers Open in Florida

• NASA’s $600 Million Launch Contract

• 2,600+ New Jobs Announced

Oxford Management Services, a collection agency, received a quick response training grant to immediately hire and train 303 new workers for its 22,500 square foot facility in Fort Pierce. (Read more)

Kathleen High School’s Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA), an aviation-oriented high school/career academy in Polk County, was awarded a $1.4 million education grant by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  (Polk County Schools)

Chromalloy, a supplier of components, PMA (Parts Manufacturer Approval) parts and specialized component repairs for turbine engines in aerospace and land-based applications, announced a $16.5 million investment to expand its Tampa engine component production to offer additional casting capabilities. (Read more)

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's Committee of One Hundred announced the addition of 320 new jobs to the Tampa area over the next two years. PwC, one of the nation's largest assurance, tax and advisory firms, will establish a Knowledge Services Organization (KSO) to add to its existing Tampa operations. (Read more)

The University of Central Florida ranked 7th in the nation among Universities/Educational facilities on IEEE Spectrum's Patent Scorecard, which calculates a “pipeline power” ranking based on a variety of factors. UCF was ranked 2nd in the nation in the applicability category - an indication that a variety of companies and other universities are citing UCF technology. (IEEE)

Regenerative medicine, which comprises fields like tissue engineering and stem cell therapeutics, is surging forward with innovations that may soon make it a regular part of healthcare. Hear Jamie Grooms, one of the pioneers in the field, discuss its future.

Sarasota-based Sunovia Energy Technologies and partner EPIR Technologies win $9 million in federal SBIR funding to produce ultra-high efficiency solar cells.  (Sunovia Energy Technologies)

Florida Atlantic University's Center for Ocean Energy Technology (COET) has deployed four Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers moorings in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the first step in the COET's plans to create a National Open-ocean Energy Laboratory (NOEL) that will involve a permanent infrastructure offshore of South Florida to serve as an integrated, standardized testing and research range for advanced marine and hydrokinetic devices. (FAU)

Orlando-based AirTran Airways is the top ranked low-cost airline for the second year in a row, according to the annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR). The AQR reports that AirTran Airways maintained its on-time performance in 2008 (with more than three-quarters of flights being on time), and improved its mishandled baggage rate over the year. (AirTran Airways)