Do you remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow sang about "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"? That came to mind as I was reflecting on the past month in the Innovation District. There have been gatherings of dozens, hundreds and thousands of people to celebrate the phenomenal science and technology ecosystem in St. Pete.
Earlier this week several dozen attended the 1st Anniversary of the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. Hundreds were in attendance at the beginning of February when I had the opportunity to share our work at a national summit in Washington DC on Digital Transformation hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. And over 12,000 attendees came to the St. Petersburg Science Festival and MarineQuest on Saturday, February 18th.
Its great to see the different ways that science and technology is flourishing in St. Pete and the engagement of all ages in these efforts.
(This article was first featured in our February newsletter -to subscribe to our monthly newsletter click here)
Not so long ago, talent and innovation blossomed in an area just south of Downtown St. Petersburg. City officials and community partners wanted to leverage the capabilities of key institutions—USF St. Petersburg, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and the Poynter Institute, to name a few. The point was to foster collaboration and show our initiatives to the world.
We will host another Trolley Tour and Happy Hour on Friday, June 13th. You will board a trolley with other Innovation District partners and learn about the history and future plans for the area. This tour will feature stops at Albert Whitted Airport, Florida Institute of Oceanography, and The Dalí Museum. The tour will conclude back at the Hub with a networking happy hour.
April’s Tech X-change was a hit, thanks to an engaging presentation from Digital Twin Marine. Shoutout to all the Eckerd College students who joined us! The audience was curious and interactive, asking great questions and eager to try out the virtual reality headset.