Florida grabs national attention as new Census data show it is the #2 state for attracting new U.S. residents, #3 state for attracting residents from other countries, and has experienced the 3rd largest population growth since Census 2010. (Read more)

Gainesville ranks among the world leaders in solar installed per capita, beating out Japan, France, and China (and besting California, with 32 kilowatts per 1000 residents). (Read more)

The significant growth of MobileHelp over the last 24 months required relocation to a larger facility for the existing employees and the 55 new employees that are projected to be hired over the next several years. (Read more)

Coca-Cola Refreshments is investing $99 million to expand its Main Street juice production facility in Auburndale. The expansion also includes adding 60 new jobs. (Read more)

ALDI, a select assortment discount grocer, is building a 500,000-square-foot office and warehousing space that will be used for its division headquarters and regional distribution center. In addition to the capital expenditures of approximately $50 million, the company anticipates annual local expenditures of $25 million and a projected retail store investment within the tri-county region of $182 million and 520 new jobs. (Read more)

As Professional Aircraft Accessories broke ground on an expansion project to accommodate 50 new employees, its president says business is going so well, another staff increase of up to 65 jobs is likely in the near future. (Read more)

National Solar Power said it will spend $700 million to develop a 200-megawatt solar farm in Florida's Hardee County, making it the company's second project in the state that has one of the highest per-capita electricity demand in the country. (Read more)

Fort Myers-based Chico's is expanding its corporate offices, creating 150 jobs over the next three years and making an estimated $25 million capital investment. (Read more)

Intellifuel will maintain its headquarters in Titusville and expand to a new facility. With this expansion, the company will more than double its payroll and capital investment in the community. (Read more)

Florida ranks 8th on the Small Business Survival Index, which ranks the policy environment for entrepreneurship across the nation. (Read more)

Tampa International Airport is the only U.S. airport named to CNN's list of the World's Most Loved Airports. (Read more)

Florida metros dominated Forbes' employment outlook rankings, winning 4 of the top 7 spots. (Read more)

Florida's Gulf Coast State College ranks as the nation's #1 fastest-growing public two-year college. (Read more)

Orlando's Valencia College is the nation's best community college, according to a think tank that spent a year studying the schools. (Read more)

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked three Florida cities (Jacksonville 4th, Miami 7th, Tampa 8th) among the nation's leading cities for technology job growth. (Read more)

In 2010, Florida received the nation's 7th largest number of doctorate degrees. (Read more)

World-renowned aerospace leader Embraer has launched its new Melbourne-based global customer center and delivered its first U.S. built aircraft. (Read more)

Florida's life sciences cluster has been named 1 of 7 Emerging Life Sciences Clusters in the United States in Jones Lang LaSalle's Life Sciences Cluster Report 2011. (Read more)

X-Ray Industries, Inc., a Troy Michigan based privately held aerospace specialty services company, has acquired Arcadia Aerospace Industries, and will invest $1.5 Million in the Punta Gorda facility for new leading edge ultrasonic inspection systems for the inspection of airframe components made of carbon composite materials tripling the capacity of the Punta Gorda facility. (Read more)

Caribbean ocean shipping company SeaFreight Agencies celebrated the grand opening of its 25-acre marine cargo terminal at the South Florida seaport. SeaFreight's terminal is a new facility on a recently completed 41-acre containerized cargo area, which created 15 percent more capacity for containerized cargo at the Port. (Read more)

Colt's Manufacturing Co. LLC announced its commitment to create 63 jobs in Osceola County for its new regional headquarters and product manufacturing center, The center will hire people for engineering and manufacturing jobs, among others. (Read more)

Florida is home to 269 of America's leading companies -- the 5th largest number in the U.S. -- as reported on the recently released Inc 5,000 list. (more)

Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami all rank among America's Best Cities for Technology Jobs. (more)

LYF Holdings is moving its headquarters out of Washington, D.C. and into West Palm Beach, creating 91 new Florida jobs. (Read more)

MAKO Surgical Corp. is expanding in Davie, creating 100 new Florida jobs. (Read more)

H2Ocean, headquartered in Martin County, plans to add 30 employees in the next 36 months and will explore additional space when they reach capacity in their current location. (Read more)

USF opened a comprehensive center that integrates patient-centered care, education and research with innovative design and state-of-the-art technology and announced two new grants for diabetes research: a $3.5 million grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a $55.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. (Read more)

France-based PrestaShop, an e-commerce solutions provider, opened its first U.S. office with 3,500-square feet of space in Miami, creating 85 direct jobs. (Read more)

CareCentrix, Inc., the nation's leading provider of home health benefits management services, announced today the expansion of its Tampa operations. The opening of a second facility at Westlake Corporate Center made room for 152 new jobs bringing the total CareCentrix workforce in Tampa to more than 500 employees. (Read more)

Motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson Inc. has relocated its Latin American division from Milwaukee to Florida, and is opening its new headquarters for Latin America operations in Doral. (Read more)

Bolivia-based Damo USA purchased a 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Hialeah to produce fine cookies, investing $4.5 million and creating 47 direct jobs. (Read more)

Progressive, the auto insurance subsidiary of The Progressive Corp., will hire 130 new sales, service and claims representatives between now and the end of the year for its Riverview contact center. (Read more)

Amcor Rigid Plastics, the manufacturing subsidiary of Australia's Amcor PET Packaging, has announced plans to expand their presence in the city of Orlando, making a capital investment of $19.4 million and bringing their total employment in the region to 126. (Read more)

Tropicana Products Inc. will reinvest $60 million at its Fort Pierce location for new packaging and pulping operations. (Read more)

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, today joined with state and regional economic development leaders to announce plans to create a new $100 million high-tech center on its Palm Bay campus that will become the centerpiece for some of the company's most advanced engineering efforts. (Read more)

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Inc. announced that two companies have decided to expand their operations adding 60 new jobs for local residents. (Read more)

Pharma Chemie, Inc., a pet supplement and pet flavor manufacturing business, is expanding its operations into Melbourne. (Read more)

(Read more)

November 2011 Highlights:

·  Saveology.com Creates 700 New Florida Jobs

·  The Boeing Company Plans New FL Operations, Adds 550 FL Jobs

·   Five Florida Cities are Named International Innovation Leaders

·   Enterprise Florida Chosen as 7th World Bank Private Sector Liaison Officer

Read Full Newsletter

October 2011 Highlights:

· Time Warner Creates 500 Florida Jobs

· C Products Defense Inc. Relocates to FL & Creates 100 Jobs

· Florida Ranks Among the Nation's Top 5 Best States for Business

· In Motion: Port of Miami Expected to Create 33,000 New Jobs

Read Full Newsletter

The University of Florida has helped to forge a deal between the Kingdom of Spain and the state of Florida initiating the groundwork for collaborative research that could boost the state's aerospace industry. (Read more)

Anna.aero named MIA 'U.S. Airport with the Most New Airlines in 2011'. (Read more)

Saveology.com, an Internet company offering daily deals and comparison-shopping websites, plans to add 700 new jobs in Broward County over the next three years. (Read more)

Florida is home to 7 of America's Best Communities for Young People presented by ING -- more than any other state except California which also has 7 communities on the list. (Read more)

Escent Technologies/Escent LifeSciences, LLC, a company that utilizes a patented spectroscopy technology, is expanding into Florida and creating 50 Palm Bay jobs. (Read more)

The new four-story building, designated Building 4, will be the largest building on any Valencia campus - with 150,000 square feet in academic and support space. (Read more)

Florida ranks 4th among the 50 states in its number of women-owned businesses, and many of them are exceptionally healthy, says a new survey by Florida International Unversity. (Read more)

Call center operator OneTouch Direct has pledged to keep its corporate headquarters in Tampa and add 700 jobs here over the next two years. (Read more)

Boeing will manufacture and test its Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft and locate its Commercial Crew program headquarters at Kennedy Space Center, creating 550 jobs by December 2015. (Read more)

Five Florida cities (Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa and Miami) have been named international innovation leaders. (Read more)

Florida lands at #6 in the Solar Foundation's 2011 National Solar Jobs Census, with 4,224 jobs in this growing sector. (Read more)

Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc. is among six awardees of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the advancement of next generation wind turbine technology. (Read more)

IRX Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company, is relocating from New York City to St. Petersburg by the year's end. The company will staff more than 280 positions within five years at a projected minimum average wage of $90,000 annually. (Read more)

Harris Corporation, a Melbourne-based international communications and information technology company, has received a $51.5 million delivery order for next-generation military satellite communications terminals that will provide the worldwide backbone for high-priority military communications and missile defense systems. (Read more)

UF's Office of Technology Licensing, startup technology companies, and service providers such as accountants, patent attorneys and venture capitalists, have begun moving into University of Florida's new 45,000-square-foot, $13.2 million hub, a business incubator. (Read more)

Florida is home to 4 of the 10 Best Amusement Parks in the United States. (Read more)

Florida invests more than $2.4 million in defense grant programs, demonstrating the state's continued support of military bases, military service members and their families, and the defense industry. (Read more)

Enterprise Florida has been awarded a State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant for $780,786 to help Florida's small and medium-sized enterprises attend trade missions, develop global marketing plans & boost their exports. (Read more)

NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast are formally renewing their economic development partnership. (Read more)

The University of Central Florida is leading a team that just won $1.3 million in a national White House competition aimed at driving technology commercialization and entrepreneurship to support a "green innovation economy." (Read more)

The Ipe Clip Fastener Company LLC has moved its headquarters and manufacturing operations from South Carolina to Manatee County where the company plans to add 80 employees over the next five years. (Read more)

This year's Annual Conference will take place in Tampa (Sunday, October 23 - Tuesday, October 25). The Conference is a three-day program with numerous features that make this the state's premier bioscience business, investor, partnering & science conference. (Read more)

Ascend Performance Materials is adding 102 new employees and making $50 million in improvements to expand its Pensacola nylon manufacturing operation, which is already the world's largest fully integrated nylon 6,6 manufacturing facility. (Read more)

This local family-owned business is expanding to a new, $6.5 million, 65,000-square-foot state-of-the-art production facility in East Naples. (Read more)

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County announces expansion of Parametric Solutions and Client First Settlement Funding. (Read more)

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation, announced the establishment of HSS Spine & Sport in Jupiter -- the first HSS expansion beyond the New York region. (Read more)

Gov. Rick Scott and Time Warner CFO John Martin announced that the media company will create 500 jobs for a new shared resource center in Hillsborough County over five years. (Read more)

U.S. corporate executives rank Florida's business climate among the Top 5 in America. (Read more)

Sarasota Medical Products Inc., an early-stage company specializing in ostomy and advanced wound care products, has secured $3.56 million in private and public funding to begin manufacturing at a new Sarasota facility. (Read more)

Construction Journal, headquartered in Stuart, has purchased a new building and has plans to add 50 new jobs in the next 36 months. (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's education climate #3 in the United States. (Read more)

Florida cities dominated the top spots on Forbes' list of Cities with the Happiest Young Professionals with Fort Lauderdale ranking 2nd and Orlando 3rd. (Read more)

University of Central Florida (#4) and the University of South Florida (#8) for being ranked among America's Up-and-Coming Schools by U.S. News. (Read more)

Rollins College ranks number one among 127 regional universities in the South in the annual rankings of "America's Best Colleges," released today by U.S. News & World Report. This is the seventh consecutive year that Rollins has been named to the top spot in this category. (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's transportation infrastructure #2 in the United States. (Read more)

Global Components Inc., a division of U.K.-based plastic component manufacturer TCB-Arrow, has selected Manatee County for its U.S. operations and plans to create 50 jobs over three years. (Read more)

Aero Engineering Support, an Indiana Company that repairs and overhauls high-end electronics, weapon systems and accessories for military operators worldwide and Prime Contractors, is establishing its world headquarters in Osceola County. (Read more)

Barn Light Electric Company, a lighting manufacturer offering a wide range of lighting, ceiling fans and industrial furniture, is investing $1.1 million expand into a 10,000 sq. ft. facility in Mims. (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's business climate #4 in the nation. (Read more)

The Port of Miami has given the greenlight to begin reinforcements of its cargo port -- work required before its deep dredge project begins next year. (Read more)

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

September 2011 Highlights:

·     Convergys Corporation Creates Nearly 1,400 Florida Jobs

·     Humana Cares Expands in St. Petersburg, Adds 300 Jobs

·     Florida' s Business Climate Ranks Among the Nation's Top 5

·     In Motion:  Gov. Scott and Secretary Swoope Say Florida is Open for Business

Read Full Newsletter

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners today unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Florida East Coast Railway to construct and operate an Intermodal Container Transfer Facility on 42.5 acres of land at Port Everglades. (Read more)

C Products Defense Inc. has moved its manufacturing operation and distribution arm from Connecticut to Manatee County where the company plans to add 100 employees in the next five years. (Read more)

Florida Aviation Academy is offering an accelerated flight training program to provide students the opportunity to become licensed commercial pilots in only 16 weeks. (Read more)

The National Cancer Institute has awarded Moffitt Cancer Center researchers a training grant to develop a Fertility Reproduction and Cancer Training Institute for Oncology Nursing (FRACTION). (Read more)

Trojan Florida Powder Coating, whose parent company is based in Bay Shore, N.Y., is opening a facility in Manatee County and plans to hire 30 employees over three years. (Read more)

AT&T is hiring more than 200 employees in Central Florida, including 100 technicians to support its growing services that include AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse high speed internet and AT&T U-verse voice. (Read more)

Jacksonville distributor Champion Brands is adding 40,000 square feet of temperature-controlled warehouse at a price tag of $2 million. (Read more)

Four Florida schools placed in the top 20 of the Forbes' Top 100 Best Buy Colleges. The University of Florida placed 11th, Florida State University 13th, New College of Florida, 16th and the University of North Florida 19th. (Read more)

ESI Florida, a biotechnology investment company that plans to create 150 jobs, will lease 27,000 square feet for office and lab space in Jupiter. (Read more)

Darden Restaurants, Inc., the world's largest full-service restaurant company, is building Florida's largest private solar array in Orlando. (Read more)

Thousands of Florida transportation industry workers could hone their skills using more than $2.2 million worth of state-funded training opportunities under a new grant. (Read more)

Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS Company, LLC), operator of the world's first pallet rental service to provide lightweight, 100 percent recyclable plastic pallets with embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, has been named as one of the nation's top 75 Green Supply Chain Partners. (Read more)

Florida is home to 2 of America's leading Cities of the Future, Orlando (#10) and Jacksonville (#14). (Read more)

Scientific American ranks Orlando #2 for Overall Technology Performance, #4 for Best Internet Access, and #5 Most Tech-Friendly; and Miami #6 for Best Internet Access. (Read more)

Minnesota-based Rational Energies MC Inc., which converts agricultural and municipal waste into synthetic crude oil, has selected Manatee County as the location for the company's first green energy manufacturing facility. (Read more)

Humana, one of the most prolific corporate job creators in the Tampa Bay area the past two years, is still on a roll. The Louisville-based insurer is adding 300 more jobs at its Humana Cares unit in St. Petersburg. (Read more)

The game has sold nearly 4,000 downloads into its third week through Apple's App Store and has also received good reviews on several gaming blogs. (Read more)

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando-based military training division has landed a contract potentially worth nearly $36 million to manage pilot training and other services for one of the largest military aircraft in the world. (Read more)

After announcing 500 new Central Florida jobs last week, Convergys reveals plans to create nearly 900 more jobs at its Jacksonville facility. (Read more)

Xcelience, a Tampa, FL-based contract research organization, is expanding its footprint and more than doubling its employment over the next three years. (Read more)

The Princeton Review has ranked two Florida colleges - New College of Florida (2nd) and University of Florida (3rd) - among America's Top 5 Best Value Colleges. (Read more)

Ybor City-based technology company Savtira Corp. is quadrupling its employees with plans to hire 265 new workers with wages averaging more than $81,000. (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's business climate among the Top 5 in the nation. (Read more)

Barn Light Electric Company, a lighting manufacturer offering a wide range of lighting, ceiling fans and industrial furniture, will maintain its current headquarters in Titusville and expand into a new facility in Mims. (Read more)

Grand Incentives Inc., a travel and lifestyle incentives membership and marketing company, is expanding its Manatee County headquarters and plans to add 60 employees over the next five years. (Read more)

Biotech company Rapid Pathogen Screening plans 164 new jobs in a Sarasota County headquarters expansion. (Read more)

Broward County's cloud technology/mobile communications cluster and experienced workforce have attracted Alliance Eyecast's $25.5 million expansion and 100 new technology jobs. (Read more)

Florida is home to 2 of America's Top 10 Metros for Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing: Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando. (Read more)

Convergys Corporation, a global leader in relationship management, is adding 500 customer care and technical support positions at its Orlando area contact center in Lake Mary, Florida. (Read more)

Voalte Inc., innovator of health care communications technology, plans to add 50 new jobs as the company expands its facility in Sarasota County. (Read more)

Emerson, a diversified global manufacturing and technology company, has selected Sunrise, Fla., as the site for its Latin American regional headquarters. (Read more)

Site Selection's Life Sciences Report highlights Governor Rick Scott and Florida's initiatives at the 2011 BIO International Convention. (Read more)

Florida's largest Medicare health plan contractor, today announced plans to add another 200 positions to its fulltime workforce at its national Medicare service operations center in Tampa. (Read more)

In an unprecedented achievement, three student teams from Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus recently took first, second, and third place in the Runway Safety/Runway Incursions Challenge category of the 2010-2011 Design Competition for Universities sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. (Read more)

In an unprecedented achievement, three student teams from Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus took first, second, and third place in the Runway Safety/Runway Incursions Challenge category of the 2010-2011 Design Competition for Universities sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. (Read more)

Space Coast and Jacksonville were selected by Area Development magazine as two of 30 U.S. Locations to Watch in 2011. (Read more)

Four Florida counties (Palm Beach #1, Martin #4, Orange #7 & Leon #9) have been named national leaders in information and communications technology in their respective population categories in the 2011 Digital Counties Survey. (Read more)

Lake Mary-based BlueChip Energy has received approval to develop a 40 megawatt solar farm in Lake County -- the largest privately owned solar farm in the State of Florida and one of the largest in the United States. (Read more)

Tampa's business environment and employment market have attracted StreetLinks Lender Solutions and 250 new Florida jobs. (Read more)

Orlando's newest digital media and game development company, Row Sham Bow Inc., will hire 60 people during the next three years for its game development studio focusing on mobile and social media games. (Read more)

CNN Money named two Florida schools, Indian River State College and Palm Beach State College, to its new list of America's ten most affordable colleges. (Read more)

U.S. News & World Report gave Florida hospitals top marks in their respective specialties in an annual ranking of America's Best Hospitals. Nine Florida hospitals earned nearly 30 awards, including a #1 ranking in Ophthalmology. (Read more)

Want to know how Florida became the 2nd fastest growing biotech market in the U.S.? Check out our new blog post to learn more. (Read more)

Octex LLC will nearly double its footprint in Sarasota County and add 80 jobs over five years as the company expands to meet demand for its custom plastic injection molding services. (Read more)

The Country Network is moving its corporate headquarters to Boca Raton and West Palm Beach's Synergy Technical Solutions Corporation is expanding. (Read more)

The clean economy in Florida ranks 7th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the new "Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment" produced by The Brookings Institution. (Read more)

The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a $25 million grant jointly to researchers from the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, Florida (VGTI FL) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). (Read more)

Forbes has declared Orlando 1 of 10 U.S. metro areas most primed for growth in the coming decade. (Read more)

The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has been selected to manage the International Space Station US National Laboratory and maximize utilization of the orbiting outpost for scientific and technological research and development and the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. (Read more)

The latest innovations for the military are coming out of top international companies housed in Florida. Many are clustered in the continually developing field of C4ISR-Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. (Read more)

Florida Atlantic University and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida in Port St. Lucie have reached an agreement to collaborate on research, education and training. The collaboration will involve sharing facilities and equipment, co-hosting joint seminars and preparing joint grant applications to state and federal agencies. (Read more)

Pivotal Therapeutics Inc. announces the opening of its U.S. headquarters at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University. The U.S. location will focus upon the commercialization and product distribution of its lead cardiovascular product VASCAZE(TM). (Read more)

In its fourth expansion in Sarasota County since 1991, Aso LLC will locate its Millenium Coating LLC subsidiary in Sarasota County, a move that will add 50 new jobs over five years. (Read more)

5D Composite Inc., based in Ontario, Canada, plans to relocate part of its manufacturing operation to Sarasota County in 2011 and create 120 jobs. (Read more)

Sypris Electronics, LLC, a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., announced it has opened its new state-of-the-art Cyber Collaboration Center within its Tampa, Florida headquarters. (Read more)

Alachua-based biotechnology company Pasteuria Bioscience Inc. has partnered with Syngenta, the largest agri-business company in the world, to develop nematode control products for agricultural and specialty crops. (Read more)

Wendy's has chosen to bring their Latin American and Florida corporate headquarters to Sunrise. (Read more)

Through an expansion of its Pinellas Park, Florida facility, Nautical Structures Industries, Inc. plans to create an estimated 30 jobs over three years. (Read more)

Aided by a $900,000 grant from NASA, Advanced Magnet Lab's scientists will develop a computer model to tell the agency how to build an electric jet. (Read more)

Altadis USA, one of the largest cigar companies in the US, announced that it will expand its 22 year headquarters presence in Fort Lauderdale through integrating administrative functions of a related company, Commonwealth Brands, currently located in Bowling Green, KY. (Read more)

For the second year in a row, Valencia Community College ranks first in the nation in the number of associate degrees awarded by a community college. The ranking was published on Monday by Community College Week. (Read more)

Orlando-based Connextions, Inc., a pre-eminent technology and business services partner to the health care industry, to add 1,200 jobs in Orlando due to new business growth within its health care customer base. (Read more)

The Tradition Center of Innovation, a 150-acre research park within the planned community of Tradition in Port St. Lucie, Fla., continues to gain momentum as a thriving life science research park focused on streamlining the commercialization pipeline through its well-renowned anchor institutions. (Read more)

Community Hospitality Healthcare Services based in Placida, has been awarded $63 million in New Markets Tax Credits authority from the U.S. Treasury to assist businesses in severely distressed communities build, expand, or rebuild older, non-productive facilities to meet the needs of their communities. (Read more)

Great HealthWorks has been awarded a Florida Quick Response Training Grant that will help create 346new jobs over the next two years and provide customized training for new employees. (Read more)

Florida is home to 2 nationally ranked leaders in solar energy. Florida Power & Light Co. ranks #2 for total megawatts and Jacksonville Electric Authority ranks #7 for watts/customer. (Read more)

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) recognized GRU this month as one of the country's leading utilities for integrating solar power into its energy portfolio. (Read more)

Newsweek has named 43 Florida schools, including 2 of the Top 10, to the 2011 list of America's Best High Schools. (Read more)

BlueGrace Logistics, in expansion mode for more than a year, plans to add dozens of additional positions to the 50 or so new jobs already created. (Read more)

The University of South Florida has joined the elite of the world's top innovators as one of 14 universities and university systems that rank in the top 300 organizations granted U.S. Patents last year, according to the Intellectual Property Association. (Read more)

Florida's Workforce and Job Training rank #1 in the nation, according the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation. (Read more)

Jacksonville's SOHO Network Solutions, Inc. was named the nation's #1 Exporter of the Year in the Safety & Security Industry by Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. (Read more)

Jacksonville's growing port operations have attracted PLS Logistics Services and new 100 Florida jobs. (Read more)

Did you know that Florida is home to the 2nd largest number of aviation, aerospace and space establishments in the United States? Read the new Florida Aviation & Aerospace Market Brief to learn what makes Florida an industry leader. (Read more)

Orlando-Kissimmee has been ranked 8th on Monster.com's list of the nation's top 10 metro areas for jobs. (Read more)

CNNMoney highlights FireIce, a breakthrough product made by Jupiter-based GelTech Solutions, in Small Business: Innovation Nation. (Read more)

Jacksonville Aviation Authority announced that it received support from the State of Florida in its efforts to transform Cecil Airport into a 21st century commercial spaceport when Space Florida officially designated Cecil as a "Space Territory" on June 9. (Read more)

AT&T is hiring 100 new technicians in Florida, noting that the state has "one of the most competitive economies for technology investment." (Read more)

Boca Raton is now home to the largest-single Tyco International facility in the world, a 171,500 square-foot facility that will employ about 800. (Read more)

Thai satellite company Thaicom Plc. has chosen Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to launch the new Thaicom 6 telecommunications satellite from its Cape Canaveral launch site in the second quarter of 2013. (Read more)

LEDTOLITE Inc., which designs and manufactures LED lighting fixtures and drivers, is moving to a larger facility in Sarasota County and plans to add 26 new jobs over five years. (Read more)

A world-renowned team of University of South Florida researchers are set to become the new North American training directors for an advanced generation of laser scanners in a unique collaboration with Lake Mary-based FARO Technologies. (Read more)

Workforce Central Floria, in partnership with Seminole State College of Florida, graduated the first group of participants of its Cyber Security Training program that provides training support and job placement to adults and develops the workforce needed to prevent network attacks. (Read more)

Florida East Coast Railway is excited to partner with the state of Florida and Broward County to deliver an intermodal container transfer facility at Port Everglades. (Read more)

Central Florida is home base for the Army's first multiplayer war-game training program that simulates human motion for infantry and other ground-combat soldiers. (Read more)

Melbourne's Harris Corporation was named #1 on Homeland Security Today's list "The Rising 10 of 2011", a list of companies that promise to grow quickly in coming years. (Read more)

Canada-based Toronto Sky Aviation Inc. (TSA), is launching a new aircraft repair company, Aircraft Armature Inc., in Opa-Locka, creating 100 skilled jobs in less than three years. (Read more)

Canadian armored car and ATM maintenance company Garda World Security Corp. is moving its U.S. headquarters out of California and into Boca Raton, bringing 100 white collar jobs to Palm Beach County. (Read more)

Aviation Week showcases Florida's avionics expertise by highlighting industry leading companies doing business in the state, such as Harris Corporation, Honeywell, L-3 Communications Corp., and Rockwell Collins. (Read more)

CEC Motor & Utility Services will locate in Manatee County to remanufacture industrial motors for high energy efficiency, creating 36 jobs over the next five years. (Read more)

Maitland-based AcAe Software, LLC has announced plans to expand their Central Florida operations, a move expected to create 93 new positions within the next three years. The company provides high-tech design, consulting, and support services for companies using electronic design automation software. (Read more)

Olympusat, Inc., a leading provider of independent programming networks, is adding 45 new jobs, and Michael Rybovich & Sons, Inc., a start-up company that manufactures, repairs and maintains boats will create 25 new jobs. (Read more)

Salazar Machine and Steel breaks ground on a 20,000 square foot facility at the Immokalee Airport that will create 50 new jobs. (Read more)

A Lake City customer service call center is adding 130 full-time jobs to handle inbound customer calls for a global satellite TV company. (Read more)

Professional Aircraft Accessories, Inc., a full service, FAA certified repair station specializing in the repair and overhaul of landing gear, accessories, instrumentation, pressurization, radio, radar avionics and airframe components is adding 20,000 square foot and 50 jobs in Brevard County. (Read more)

Three Florida cities, St. Petersburg (#1), Tampa (#7), and Miami (#10) were named to AmericanStyle Magazine's list of Top 25 Arts Destinations in the United States. (Read more)

The fact that there is a U.S. Export Assistance Center in Fort Lauderdale and the decision to relocate the office to Port Everglades is a testament to the current trade activity here and highlights the important partnership between the County and Federal Government which is sure to be strengthened by this move. (Read more)

The Washington Post has named 149 Florida high schools to its High School Challenge list of America's top 1,900 public high schools, including 4 of the Top 20. (Read more)

In just the few short years the Lighting Science Group has been around, the company has gone from a tiny operation to a worldwide leader in energy efficient lighting, with plans to add 200 more workers on Florida's Space Coast in the next 18 months. (Read more)

Florida is home to 3 of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America (Miami, Gainesville and Orlando)--more than any other state, as ranked by Amazon.com. (Read more)

Check out our latest blog post to hear Ricardo Schneider, president and CEO of the Dutch company Danfoss Turbocor, share how Florida's favorable business climate has helped his company grow. (Read more)

The University of Florida breaks groun on its new Clinical and Translational Research Building, a120,000-square-foot complex that will speed scientific discoveries to patients. (Read more)

Florida's Advanced Solar Photonics will soon become the nation's 3rd largest producer of Solar PV Panels. Besides bragging rights, this expansion will also create 50+ new Central Florida jobs. (Read more)

Progressive, the auto insurance subsidiary of The Progressive Corp., will hire 110 new sales and customer service representatives between now and the end of June. (Read more)

Metro Orlando took a bite out of the Big Apple on Tuesday when the City Beautiful announced it had become the first U.S. travel destination to draw more than 50 million visitors in a single year. (Read more)

A Palm City company known for its healthy pet foods has purchased land in Jupiter and plans to build a new headquarters and distribution facility. (Read more)

Florida Hospital is improving its laboratory testing capabilities with new state-of-the-art equipment from Roche Diagnostics that is designed to help labs increase their testing capacity and deliver reliable results with greater efficiency. The high-volume, automated system will allow patient blood samples to pass through the testing process untouched by human hands. (Read more)

FairWarning Inc., a St. Petersburg-based electronic health records manager, will hire 70 additional employees over the next two years, according to a company release. (Read more)

Drawn by Orlando's strong IT talent base, Team Cymru, a specialized Internet security research firm, joins the rapidly growing list of companies relocating to Florida. (Read more)

Florida's reduced costs and efficiency advantages helped convince Skybridge Technology Group to move their manufacturing operations out of South Carolina and into Florida. (Read more)

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando operations have received two new contracts together worth nearly $70million to produce advanced cruise missiles and armored-vehicle gunnery-training simulators. (Read more)

Pemco World Air Services, a leading MRO company attracted by Tampa's talented workforce, moves its corporate headquarters out of Alabama and into Florida. (Read more)

The federal government has approved the Jacksonville Port Authority's bid to create an expanded foreign trade zone for Northeast Florida. (Read more)

California, Texas and Florida are the top states for veteran-owned businesses, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. (Read more)

Northeast Florida has won approval for Florida's first expanded foreign trade zone, which will give businesses a fast-track process for obtaining zone benefits. (Read more)

In a landmark deal, the Army's Orlando-based training and simulation agency has won a $5 million contract to provide medical-care training systems for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' new Orlando medical center and for VA hospitals nationwide. (Read more)

Raymond James has been ranked the nation's #1 full-service brokerage for the third time in four years by SmartMoney. (Read more)

The three-year project is expected to create more than 250 jobs once completed, and will be used by the U.S. Marine Corp., U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Army, Federal Air Marshall Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Customs Enforcement, FEMA and more. (Read more)

Southern Business & Development magazine ranked Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL the number one Top 10 Pro-Business Beach Community in the South. (Read more)

With the passage of the Brownfield District for the City of Titusville, this further positions North Brevard as an area of interest for companies looking to relocate their facilities to our community. (Read more)

Intcomex Inc., a Miami-based distributer of IT products in Latin America and the Caribbean, has raised $22.5 million in equity. (Read more)

More than 500 CEOs considered a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, to select Florida among the nation's Best States for Business. (Read more)

While the biotechnology industry has weakened across the U.S., Florida has seen a 21 percent jump in the number of biotech companies since 2008 and a surge in investment. (Read more)

Fortune has named 16 Florida companies among the nation's leaders in their respective industries in the 2011 annual rankings. (Read more)

Join Frost & Sullivan, in partnership with Enterprise Florida, to gain insights into the megatrends driving the life sciences, cleantech and aviation/aerospace industries forward over the next twenty years, and the location issues impacting CEO decisions today. (Read more)

xByte Technologies, a reseller of Information Technology equipment, plans to more than double its footprint in Manatee County and add 38 new jobs in the next five years. (Read more)

All Children's is the first US hospital outside of the Baltimore/Washington DC region to achieve membership within Johns Hopkins Medicine, which includes The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. (Read more)

Florida's airports dominated the New York Times rankings for most competitive fare pricing. (Read more)

Service Provider Group, a $1.4 billion Professional Employee Organization based in Tennessee, is moving a newly acquired company and a branch of one of its own subsidiaries to Punta Gorda. The 46 employees from First Financial and 70 new employees of The Payroll Source will be co-located in downtown Punta Gorda, with many of the payroll company employees being hired locally. (Read more)

Private Jet Charter, one of the world's largest independent private jet charter brokers and consultants, unveiled an aggressive expansion plan in North America by establishing its regional office in Fort Lauderdale to serve as its charter hub for the United States and Canada. (Read more)

Orlando is leading Florida out of recession and expanding so briskly that it is poised to push aside Miami as the state's fastest growing metropolis for at least a generation. Orlando is benefiting from above average jobs growth, a booming health sciences complex and cheap housing prices. (Read more)

It's not often that Gainesville is named in the same breath as big cities like Las Vegas, but last week Gainesville brought in another top ranking, coming in #7 on the list of "Greenest Cities in the U.S." (Read more)

Humana, one of Tampa Bay's most prolific job generators throughout the recession, is at it again. The health insurer is hiring another 177 employees between now and July at Humana Cares, its St. Petersburg-based division that provides outreach help over the phone and in person to chronically ill members. (Read more)

Are you interested in clean energy technologies such as advanced li-ion batteries, hydrogen-powered fuel cells, and paper thin batteries? Download our new white paper to learn about the great strides Florida's companies are making in these areas. (Read more)

Comcast plans to open a new Spanish-language call center in Miramar, creating 300 jobs by year-end. (Read more)

John Carroll, Editor of Fierce Biotech, has named Enterprise Florida's Personalized Medicine session (#261) one of this year's BIO International Top 10 Can't Miss Sessions. (Read more)

OpenPeak, a company selling touchscreen devices and a cloud-based device management platform that streamlines deployment and management for service providers and enterprises, has raised $27.9 million. (Read more)

Palm Bay joined Duluth, Minn., Evanston, Ill., Buffalo, N.Y., and six other cities in earning the distinction of Best Places To Start a Business in 2011, according to the website Askmen.com. (Read more)

JPMorgan Chase is continuing its aggressive push into Florida with plans to open 37 more branches statewide this year, investing more than $50 million in new Florida branches over the next two years. (Read more)

Auxis, Inc., a leading South Florida management consulting firm, has partnered with Project Performance Corporation, a global management consulting firm, to fulfill a contract for $99.7 million with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Read more)

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando training-systems division has landed a five-year Army contract to make advanced sensors, monitors and other instruments for armored-vehicle gunnery ranges across the country. (Read more)

In a partnership that seems fitting for the Sunshine State, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter are teaming with solar energy experts at NextEra Energy and its subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Co., to take solar technology to the next level. (Read more)

PGT Industries, the maker of hurricane-resistant windows and doors, announced in December that it would bring 400 jobs back to Venice through the closing of a plant in Sailsbury, N.C. The company is now looking to hire 150 workers by June 30. (Read more)

Florida State and the Digital Domain Media Group are collaborating in the creation of a new facility, to include the Digital Domain Institute, and the development of a unique program that will result in new educational opportunities, high-tech research programs, high-paying jobs and an economic boost for the state of Florida. (Read more)

Southern Business & Development names Orlando among the Ten Places in the South where Digital Media has clustered, noting "Orlando offers an environment ripe with creative talent, supporting resources and boundless potential for continued development." (Read more)

The Red Hills Surgical Center, a joint venture between Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and 35 local physicians from several area practices, will provide a multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center offering outpatient surgical procedures, as well as an educational observation room. (Read more)

Naples-based Arthrex is building a new biomedical operations and manufacturing facility that will hire 150 employees upon completion, and will add hundreds more jobs over the next few years. (Read more)

Creonix LLC, an advanced electronics manufacturing services company, is expanding its Manatee County facility and plans to add 105 employees over the next five years. (Read more)

Business Xpansion Journal ranks Florida 2nd for Biosciences Branches, 3rd for Biosciences Startups, and 8th for Biosciences Employment. (Read more)

Business Xpansion Journal ranks Florida 3rd for Pharmaceutical Startups, 5th for Pharmaceutical Branches, and 6th for Pharmaceutical Employment. (Read more)

Wells Fargo ranks Florida #1 for high-growth industries and positive regional advantage, noting "the Sunshine State is making important enhancements to its university system to bring in more cutting-edge research, and this should pay off with an even better mix of high-growth industries in future years." (Read more)

Four Florida cities earned top marks as fDi Magazine American Cities of the Future, including Miami which ranked 7th overall. In terms of business friendliness in their respective size categories, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale ranked #1, followed by Miami at #2 and Tampa ranking 6th. (Read more)

West Palm Beach-based Shoes For Crews, a producer of slip-resistant footwear, is growing to 37,000 square feet and adding 30 new jobs as part of a consolidation of its Las Vegas operation into West Palm Beach. (Read more)

MaxWest Environmental Systems, Inc. today announced a $32.5 million investment in third round funding, which it will use to implement its proprietary MaxWest Gasification System. (Read more)

Orlando and Jacksonville were both named to Kiplinger's list of eleven cities that are enjoying a surprising and welcome upward bounce. (Read more)

Sarasota-based METI, a world leader in interactive human patient simulation, is launching a new Hospital Services Unit. (Read more)

Read today's new blog post to learn about Xhale Innovations, a University of Florida start-up, and its journey to commercialization. (Read more)

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. officially opened a new facility at its Florida Assembly and Flight Operations campus, establishing experimental assembly line operations for the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter. (Read more)

Lakeland Electric and SunEdison are builing an 18,000-panel solar farm at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport- the largest solar farm at airport in the United States. (Read more)

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

April 2011 Highlights:

·     FPL Unveils Nation's First Hybrid Solar Energy Center

·     Gartner Adds 400 Jobs in Ft. Myers

·     Florida is Ranked a Top 10 State for Entrepreneurial Activity

·     Free White Paper -  Smart Grid Trends, Market Forecast and Technology Innovations 2011

Read Full Newsletter

In Greater Fort Lauderdale, multinational firms find a safe haven and desirable tax climate for corporate operations. (Read more)

Broward County's Port Everglades has been selected for the third consecutive year as the #1 U.S. Homeport by Porthole Cruise Magazine, a world-class leading cruise travel magazine. (Read more)

Palm Beach County could become a new hub of medical education in the state with three new programs planning to operate there in the next few years. (Read more)

Florida is home to 4 of the nation's Best Cities for Minority Entrepreneurs: #5 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, #9 Orlando-Kissimmee, #14 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, #21 Jacksonville. (Read more)

Florida's cutting-edge academic facilities rank among the nation's Top 10 in attracting research and development funding. (Read more)

Gainesville ranks among America's 10 Happiest Cities, and earned the title of the nation's #1 city for Work Environment on Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The index was based on six sub-indexes: life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities. (Read more)

Cloud security firm Prolexic Technologies has raised $13.9 million in a growth financing. Founded in 2003, Prolexic was the first company to establish global scrubbing centers to stop DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks in the Cloud. (Read more)

Both the University of Miami and the University of Florida took Top 10 spots (ranked 8th and 9th, respectively) on a recent list of America's Top 100 Social Media Colleges. (Read more)

Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, headquartered in Saint Augustine, Florida with multiple factories located around the world is pleased to announce a multi-million dollar expansion that will lead to approximately 90 new jobs over the next two to three years. (Read more)

Serve, whose core operations are based in downtown St. Petersburg, had its genesis in Revolution Money, a St. Petersburg startup that American Express acquired for $300 million. (Read more)

Chromalloy, an international aerospace company based in Orangeburg, N.Y., announced today Palm Beach Gardens will be the new home for its corporate headquarters and Technology Center of Excellence. (Read more)

Titusville-based Knight's Armament was awarded an $82 million contract to make as many as 10,800 sniper night sights for the U.S. Army. (Read more)

The Immokalee Regional Airport is adding new aviation tenants with the construction of a new test facility for turbo gas generators overhauled from former aircraft engines. Turbo Services chose the Immokalee location due to its reasonable cost of living and proximity to highways and the company headquarters. (Read more)

Saft is moving its North American headquarters to Jacksonville where the company is building a $200 million high-tech battery plant. (Read more)

The Central Chapter of BioFlorida and bioOrlando are hosting a statewide life sciences/biomedical cluster update event on Thursday, March 24 at the Sonesta Hotel in Orlando, followed by a networking event and BioFlorida Open House. (Read more)

The University of Florida is hosting a Celebration of Innovation Showcase to feature start-up companies in the areas of life sciences, medical devices, and information technology that are commercializing the latest in cutting-edge technologies generated as a result UF research. (Read more)

A recent analysis showed that Orlando is the least expensive city in the U.S. for operating a corporate headquarters, followed by Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Birmingham and San Antonio. (Read more)

A new laser device created at the University of Central Florida could make high-speed computing faster and more reliable, opening the door to a new age of the Internet. (Read more)

The state-funded Florida Economic Gardening Institute is the first organization in the United States to receive Program Certification in the National Center for Economic Gardening's top-ranking Level Three, representing the highest engagement of economic gardening principles that is attainable. (Read more)

Clearwater's Bulova Technologies Ordnance Systems LLC has received a 5-year Master Blanket Purchasing Agreement award from the United States Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal. The award of this new BPA for weapons, combined with the previously announced award for ammunition, makes Bulova Technologies Group, Inc. a leading U.S. supplier of both non standard ammunition and weapons to U.S. and NATO forces. (Read more)

Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC announced its entry into the Florida solar market with the acquisition and development of two distributed generation projects, as well as the development of a third greenfield utility scale project. (Read more)

With offices throughout the U.S. and eight other nations, software company SumTotal Systems Inc. chose to move its headquarters to Gainesville and relocate other operations as it geared up for growth. The local office has grown from 40 to 130 people and plans to hire about 40 more over the next few months. (Read more)

Boca Raton's OpenPeak, a company selling touchscreen devices and a cloud-based device management platform that streamlines deployment and management for service providers and enterprises, has raised an additional $15.54 million. (Read more)

The University of North Florida's new Gaming and Mobile Applications concentration uses video games to teach real world computing and information technology skills. More than just play, entertainment software is being used as a gateway to impart programming knowledge and energize the millennial generation to pursue computing degrees and high-tech careers beyond gaming. (Read more)

The Division of Continuing Education at the University of North Florida has been awarded two contracts by Workforce Florida, Inc. to launch two Employ Florida Banner Centers-the Employ Florida Banner Center for Creative Industries and the Employ Florida Banner Center for Financial and Professional Services. (Read more)

After completing a $1.5 million renovation to its call center, Old Cell Phone Co. is in the process of hiring 200 more people. The company had about 450 employees at the start this year, meeting the first step in its goal to have at least 863 employees by 2013. (Read more)

Men's Health has identified Orlando as the 7th most socially networked city in America. (Read more)

The Kauffman Foundation has ranked Florida among the nation's Top 10 States for Entrepreneurial Activity and reports that Florida's rate of entrepreneurial activity has increased by more than that of most other states over the last decade. (Read more)

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has expanded its already strong presence in Florida with the opening of a 25,000-square-foot facility to provide development and integration support to the growing Healthcare Solutions business. (Read more)

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

March 2011 Highlights:

·     Bing Energy Opens World HQ in Florida

·     Pharmaceutical Manufacturer CROMA Pharmaceuticals Moves to Florida

·     Florida is Home to 2 of America's Happiest Cities to Work In

·     Free White Paper -  Robotics:  From Surgery to Scouting

Read Full Newsletter

Brazil's Boldini S.A. has agreed to build five ships in Panama City's port and is bringing at least 300 new jobs there to Eastern Shipbuilding Group. (Read more)

The American Academy of Optometry, which represents more than 4,000 optometrists and vision scientists, is moving its headquarters from the Washington, D.C. area to Orlando next spring. (Read more)

Wheeled Coach Industries, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of ambulances and emergency-rescue vehicles, headquartered in Winter Park, has purchased a competing company from South Carolina. The acquisition will result in the merger of operations at the company's Orange County facility, a move expected to result in 105 new manufacturing jobs and over $2 million new capital investmentin Central Florida. (Read more)

WestPoint Home, one of the leading manufacturers of home textiles in the United States,is expanding in Northwest Florida. The decision to consolidate manufacturing, receiving and shipping in a single location has increased the company's Washington County employment from 285 to 425 in less than two years, with additional employment anticipated, further reinforcing Northwest Florida's reputation as a leading Southeastern United States manufacturing and distribution center. (Read more)

Universal North America was awarded a training grant to assist in expanding its workforce by supporting training for new employees at the company's U.S. headquarters in Sarasota County. Universal, a multiregional insurance carrier, plans to add up to 70 jobs in the next two years. (Read more)

FPL's Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a one-of-a-kind hybrid facility that connects a field of more than 190,000 solar thermal mirrors with an existing combined-cycle natural gas power plant. Innovative technology enables the mirrors to track the sun over the course of a day to harness free fuel from the sun's rays to create electricity and directly offset the use of fossil fuels. (Read more)

Tampa's Bayshore Solutions and Orlando-based Engineering and Computer Simulations were named among the nation's best small businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (Read more)

Signature Brands LLC, celebrates the grand opening of their new 127,000 square-foot popcorn plant that will produce 80-100 full-time jobs and 100-125 seasonal jobs in Ocala. (Read more)

As Gainesville's solar feed-in tariff program begins its third year this month, it is slated to grow in size by more than 70 percent in 2011 and, at the same time, will be opening up more to residential property owners. (Read more)

Gartner, Inc. is expanding in Fort Myers, Florida for a combined total of 400 net new jobs. Gartner currently employs 350 in Fort Myers and will be expanding into a new 120,000 sq. ft. build-to-suit facility. (Read more)

The University of Florida is hosting a Celebration of Innovation Showcase to feature start-up companies in the areas of life sciences, medical devices, and information technology that are commercializing the latest in cutting-edge technologies generated as a result UF research. (Read more)

Atlantic Technical Center has once again been notified by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. that the school's TTEN (Technician Training & Education Network) program is the best in the nation. (Read more)

Florida's Career and Professional Education Act was 1 of only 5 initiatives named as a "Model of 21st Century Career and Technical Education" in Harvard University's "Pathways to Prosperity: The Road to an American Solution". (Read more)

The Sunshine State is ranked number one in the nation, topping Maryland for the percentage of 2010 seniors taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams while in high school. No other state has as many recognized schools and Florida's total is more than double the number in most other states. (Read more)

A merger between Solamatrix of St. Petersburg and Madico of Masschusetts late last year is resulting in several new jobs being added in Pinellas County in 2011. (Read more)

Ceridian Corp., a human resources and benefits company, plans to hire 220 people at its St. Petersburg operations. (Read more)

The University of Central Florida's video game graduate school ranks No. 2 in North America, according to The Princeton Review and GamePro Media. (Read more)

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Inc. announces today that five companies have decided to relocate or expand their operations adding 127 new high paying jobs for local residents. (Read more)

Tropicana Products, Inc. is making a multi-million-dollar investment in Manatee County for a new building, equipment and workforce training. (Read more)

Space shuttle Discovery's final launch will be a landmark event for Embry-Riddle - the first time that two of its alumni will serve together in space. (Read more)

New College of Florida has been ranked No. 2 and the University of Florida No. 3 "Best Value Public College in America" for 2011 by The Princeton Review, one of America's best known education services companies, and USA TODAY, one of the nation's most widely read newspapers. (Read more)

As part of AOL Inc.'s commitment to expand its reach in the US and continue to attract top talent, the company announced today that it is opening a new office in downtown Orlando, Florida. (Read more)

Modus Operandi, a leading software and information integration technology company, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command to develop a system that identifies critical words and phrases for intelligence analysis, and maintains lists of these key words. (Read more)

Florida State College at Jacksonville's new Aircraft Services Educational Facility at Cecil Field is now open. The $20 million complex is being funded by JAA and FSCJ and will provide approximately 200 new jobs. (Read more)

Convergys Corp. is looking to hire about 440 people for permanent positions and an additional 160 seasonal positions in customer service and sales at its Jacksonville center. (Read more)

The $50 million plant will be the final assembly facility for the Phenom 100 and 300 Executive Jets. (Read more)

Arthrex, Inc. President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding proudly reports Arthrex's combined operations located in Naples hired its 1000th local employee in January 2011. (Read more)

The UCF College of Medicine began its first health leadership initiative with Orlando's Jones High School Medical Arts Magnet program on Friday, a partnership designed to increase the diversity of students in medical education and better prepare those youngsters to enter the health-care profession. (Read more)

VR Laboratories plans to create 208 new, full-time jobs in Lee County over the next five years with average salaries of $66,850 plus benefits. VR Laboratories was formed to be the leading global formulator and producer of FDA-approved botanical pharmaceuticals and medicines and proprietary ingredients for medicinal and functional foods and beverages. (Read more)

University of Florida researchers say their supercomputer, named Novo-G, is the world's fastest reconfigurable supercomputer and is able to perform some important science applications faster than the Chinese supercomputer touted as the world's most powerful. (Read more)

Check out the new Florida Business Smarts Blog to read what Florida's business community has to say. While you're there, add your thoughts and join the conversation. (Read more)

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

February 2011 Highlights:

• One of FL's Largest Solar Rooftop Systems is Underway
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturer CoreRx Expands in Florida
• Florida is Home to 4 of the Nation's Top Cybercities
• Free White Paper:  Diagnostics & Delivery in Personalized Medicine

Read Full Newsletter

Growing by 17.8% over 2009, Florida is now officially the fourth largest export state in the United States. Florida's 2010 exports reached $55.2 billion, which surpassed the state's peak of $54.2 billion in 2008 - the height of the export boom. (Read more)

The Indian River BioEnergy Center will be the nation's first full-scale commercial facility to convert waste disposal into useful energy products such as ethanol and electricity. Company executives have said the investment in the community will total more than $130 million and will create 50 full-time permanent jobs. (Read more)

USAA, already one of the bay area's largest employers with more than 2,000 workers at its Tampa campus, is adding 160 new jobs plus 60 seasonal workers at its Tampa offices. (Read more)

Bing Energy Inc. (BEI) has selected Florida as the new site of the company's world headquarters. BEI, in collaboration with Florida State University, is planning to turn revolutionary nanotechnology pioneered at FSU into a better, faster, more economical and commercially viable fuel cell. The move is expected to create at least 244 jobs. (Read more)

The first 'Location-as-a-Service' company launches cross-carrier services for mobile enterprise and raises largest round in location enablement industry history. (Read more)

Plasma-Therm LLC invests over $1 million to launch Rev-Tech, a machine shop subsidiary that provides high-end service and materials to make equipment used by name-brand electronic companies to produce semiconductor chips. (Read more)

Jacksonville (#3) and Miami (#4) have been named among the 10 Happiest Cities To Work In America, as reported by CareerBliss and Forbes.com. (Read more)

CROMA Pharmaceuticals, an Austrian-based company involved in the manufacture of ophthalmology, orthopedics and aesthetics products, has located a new subsidiary in Fort Lauderdale.

The rooftop of a Publix-anchored shopping centre in Gainesville will be transformed into a 46,000 square-foot solar farm. (Read more)

The Department of the Navy awarded a $29 million shipbuilding and support contract to Maritime Security Strategies, LLC, of Tampa, Florida. MSS will work with its primary design agent and shipbuilding partner, RiverHawk Fast Sea Frames, LLC, also of Tampa, to design, produce and outfit the ship. (Read more)

The University of Miami Launch Pad, the entrepreneurship resource center of the University's Toppel Career Center, is a part of a White House strategy to expand U.S. innovation and job creation across the nation. (Read more)

The University of South Florida is one of 16 official U.S. study sites for the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, a landmark observational clinical study sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which will use a combination of advanced imaging, biologics sampling and behavioral assessments to identify biomarkers of Parkinson's disease progression. (Read more)

A new high-tech training contract for Cubic Corp.'s Orlando-based Simulation Systems Division has set off a modest burst of hiring by the defense contractor. (Read more)

City Labs, Inc., the pioneering innovator of long-life NanoTritium batteries for microelectronics,is the first company in the betavoltaic battery industry to be granted a Product Regulatory General License to manufacture, sell, and distribute betavoltaic batteries. (Read more)

OrthoSensor Inc., a company developing intelligent orthopedic implants and sensor-assisted surgery systems, has raised $21 million in Series B financing. (Read more)

Jupiter Medical Center recently launched its Robotic Surgery Program featuring the da Vinci Si Surgical System. (Read more)

Fort Myers-based 21st Century Oncology will earn up to $300,000 in local and state incentives by hiring 40 additional employees. (Read more)

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando high-tech training unit has won a major Army simulation contract potentially worth $287 million. (Read more)

Medtino Incorporated, a federally licensed national Provider of direct-to-consumer Medicare reimbursed medical products and services, is moving to Ocala with plans to create 180 jobs over the next three years. (Read more)

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine announced plans to establish the LECOM School of Dental Medicine in Lakewood Ranch. (Read more)

INEOS New Planet BioEnergy, LLC. won a $75 million loan guarantee to construct and operate a biorefinery capable of producing 8 million gallons-per-year of cellulosic ethanol and gross electricity production capacity of 6 MW. The feedstock for the process will include primarily vegetative, yard, wood, and municipal solid wastes. (Read more)

In a new BizCosts.com report by The Boyd Co., Orlando has been named the nation's least expensive city to launch a corporate headquarters. Florida cities claimed 5 of the top 20 low cost leader spots, dominating the rankings. No other state placed more than one city on the top 20 list.

The Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research selected two Phase I projects and eleven Phase II projects in ten cities across Florida to share nearly $3 million in grant funding through the Florida Research Commercialization Matching Grant Program (FRCMGP) for projects ranging from the life sciences to advanced materials to energy. (Read more)

Zim American Integrated Shipping will soon begin operating a direct container service between Tampa and Mexico. Zim also recently expanded its service to South America through the Tampa port. (Read more)

Event Photography Group, North America's largest commencement & endurance race photography company, is expanding its local operations and locating its GradImages division in Leon County. The company will be creating more than 50 new full-time and seasonal jobs. (Read more)

Baptist Medical Center Beaches has opened its new state-of-the-art surgery center which is equipped with the latest surgical technology, including high-definition monitors, LED surgical lights, reflectors that diminish shadows in the surgical field and a centralized computer system that controls all equipment from a single desk. (Read more)

Find out what the next generation of augmented reality and simulation technologies has to offer and learn about some of the Florida companies implementing them. (Read more)

The Carnegie Foundation for Teaching and Learning designated UCF as a university with "very high research activity." (Read more)

Melbourne software developer Amovius expects to double the number of employees working in its 11,000-square-foot office. (Read more)

High-Performance Magnetics has broken ground on its new production facility at the Tallahassee Regional Airport. The company is a manufacturing and management firm that specializes in providing high-quality superconducting magnet products. (Read more)

USF Health began construction today on its Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, a $30million project that will help change how healthcare professionals learn, making cutting-edge medical technologies safer for patients. (Read more)

Florida's public school system ranks 5th on Education Week's Quality Counts 2011, continuing its ascent from ranking 8th in 2010 and 10th in 2009. (Read more)

Naples ranked #11 on the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index of America's cities where people are overall the happiest and healthiest. (Read more)

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant to a University of Florida chemist to create The Center for Nanostructured Electronic Materials, a center for investigating manufacturing techniques for nanoscale electronics. (Read more)

Algae-based biofuel could someday power commercial jets, courtesy of the University of Central Florida and its New Mexico partner. (Read more)

TechAmerica Foundation's Cybercities report shows that Palm Bay-Melbourne was one of only a handful of U.S. cities to add high-tech jobs and has one of the highest concentrations of tech industry workers. In addition, the Miami, Tampa, and Orlando areas all remain tech hubs for the Sunshine State. (Read more)

Romark Laboratories, a company developing drugs for infectious diseases and cancer, has raised $23.11million from a mixed securities offering. (Read more)

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Orlando-Kissimmee have been ranked among the nation's Top 25 MSAs for small businesses. (Read more)

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

January 2011 Highlights:

• Sybac Solar Builds FL's Largest Privately Owned Solar Array
• BRS Aerospace Opens & Plans to Hire 450
• Florida Hospital & Sanford-Burnham Join Japan's Largest Pharma
• Free White Paper:  Augmented Reality

Read Full Newsletter

Daya Medicals, Inc. presented its game-changing patient-centered medication dispensing and data coordinating "cloud" based hub, the MedPod, to a select group of industry specialists and health care professionals. (Read more)

Through targeted business assistance, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute and its program GrowFL helped entrepreneurial growth companies create at least 418 jobs throughout the state in just its first year. (Read more)

Oshkosh Corp., a Fortune 350 company, is expanding its Pierce Manufacturing and Frontline Communications operations in Florida. The result could add up to 200 jobs in Bradenton and Clearwater in 2011. (Read more)

Through targeted business assistance, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute and its program GrowFL helped entrepreneurial growth companies create at least 418 jobs throughout the state in just its first year. (Read more)

It Works Global Inc. will relocate its corporate headquarters from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Manatee County in January 2011 - a move that will add 90 jobs over the next three years. (Read more)

Kiplinger's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2011" ranking includes six Florida schools -- led by the University of Florida, which was hailed as the second-best college value in the nation. (Read more)