By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.

Collaborations are Innovation Foundation

Over the last few months I have used this space in the newsletter to create a picture of what it takes to foster innovation.

November 2023 newsletter: Innovation is a team sport.  It requires diverse perspectives and experiences to find a creative solutions.   It requires courage to try things out and be willing to learn what won’t work as much as what will work.  It requires tenacity to keep going and going and going.

March 2024 newsletter: Ideas create the "spark" that fuels innovation.  Good ideas... bad ideas... ideas that need time to marinate... etc.

Today I want to add another facet to this picture: Trusting collaborations are the foundation to innovation. One of the roles the Innovation District plays is as a facilitator of collaboration. We excel in situations that require more than one entity to come together. This starts before the idea sparks and creative solutions are found.  It begins with the questions of "Who are you?", "Do I trust you?", "Do I want to work with you?"  Sometimes these questions are answered immediately - things just click. Sometimes it takes a little back-and-forth. This foundation must be laid before anything else.

Three examples of our latest work to create collaborations are:

  1. Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change breakfast series kicked off in April.  We had the opportunity to connect individuals working with artificial intelligence across life science, art, marine science, and more.
  2. We are preparing a national (with a strong concentration in the state of Florida) submission for a NOAA grant to support the development of BlueTech startups.  This is the next phase of our current work with Tampa Bay Wave and USF.  
  3. In the coming months we will be conducting our District Master Plan activity bringing together employers, business owners, land owners, neighbors and more to discuss the future spaces and places of the District.

Alison Barlow

Executive Director

You may also be interested in...

April 8, 2025
April 11, 2025

Join us for a Trolley Tour of the District on Friday, April 18th from 1:30pm-4:30pm. This popular event is offered 2-3 times a year. It begins at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. You will board a trolley with other Innovation District partners and community members. As we travel throughout the District, you will learn about the history and future plans for the area. We will make several stops for an insider view of the research and collaborations underway. The tour will conclude back at Hub with a networking happy hour.

April 8, 2025
April 11, 2025

The Innovation District hosts a quarterly breakfast series called Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change. At each session we explore emerging technologies, invite District partners to share their current related efforts, and engage in thoughtful (and hopefully spirited) discussions that will spark future innovation.

April 8, 2025
April 11, 2025

Each month our team confers about what to include in the District newsletter. We lament how to share all the amazing stories while not creating an encyclopedia (yes, I am showing by age with an old school reference). We are fortunate to have so many things going on in the District.