The St. Pete Innovation District (SPID) is excited to be the location of the new, soon to-be-built home for the Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC). The collaboration of these two entities is a great example of how organizations with unique focuses work together to make an impact on our city, the region, and the State of Florida as we set the stage for our innovation-driven economy.
How do the organizations compliment each other?
SPID: Works to encourage the growth and development of a geographic area south of downtown. Like other innovation districts around the world, SPID is designed to attract innovation drivers that includes entrepreneurs, startups, and business incubators, and connect their efforts to larger, anchor organizations.
TBIC: Works to nurture technology startup founders with hands-on expertise, mentorship, industry partnerships, a professional network and access to investors in a dedicated, collaborative workspace. TBIC hosts events, educational programs, meetups, and provides incubator and accelerator programs for the entrepreneurial community.
SPID: Focuses on growing jobs and research funding in the Grow Smarter targeted industries of marine science, life science, data analytics as well as leverages the expertise of community partners in higher education, business incubation, art, and media.
TBIC: Focuses on innovation and the commercialization of technology that attracts and assists startups to thrive and build successful, scalable companies that can compete in the global technology market.
What is the difference?
SPID, an innovation driver, provides support to position and coordinate resources within the district and across unique community collaborations. While TBIC, an innovation cultivator, provides the programs and expertise to grow technology businesses within the district, Pinellas County, and the Tampa Bay region.
Even with the differences both have one similar goal, which is to provide a strong foundation for creating and expanding companies and jobs in St. Petersburg.
Are you interested in being part of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center’s new building? Visit https://tbinnovates.com/about to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
A group of support organizations, led by the Innovation District and fueled by a grant from Duke Energy, developed our first Tampa Bay Innovation Ecosystem Map in 2023. We aim to continue guiding entrepreneurs to the best possible resources with an updated version.
The graduation of the CodeBoxx AI Literacy and Applications Bootcamp was held on Saturday, August 9th at the ARK Innovation Center. The celebration included a tour of the ARK building, a sneak peek at the Vu Studio, and a hackathon. This bootcamp is designed to give participants a competitive edge in the job market by teaching practical ways to use AI. AI literacy and tech communication are more important than ever, and we're incredibly proud of this graduating class for taking that step forward.
Josh Rojas of Bay News 9 recently visited the Maritime and Defense Tech Hub, where he was welcomed by CEO Alison Barlow and COO Lauren Bell for a discussion about the building’s future expansion. The Hub is already home to a thriving community of companies and demand continues to grow. To accommodate this momentum, leaders are envisioning Hub 2.0, a second building proposed for the west parking lot.