The term "innovation" is used to describe many things - a product, an idea, or even a place. I've tried over the years to find another word to use instead. Its an interesting challenge. Synonyms such as change, revolution, metamorphosis, novelty are suggested by the thesaurus. I'm sure you will agree that none fit quite right. Hence why I think the term innovation is overused.
Instead for variety (and clarity) I resort to describing what goes into "innovation" such as creativity, unique ideas and even in the technology world - insights gained from combinations of data. It is also worth remembering that even the most creative idea or clever method won't be successful without hard work. We are fortunate to have all of these in abundance in the St. Pete Innovation District. Kudos to everyone featured in this issue of the newsletter.
Enjoy!
Alison Barlow
Executive Director
(This article was first featured in our August newsletter - to subscribe to our monthly newsletter click here)
Our summer youth tours are in full swing, and the learning hasn’t stopped. So far, we’ve hosted students ranging from elementary school to college age, with over 60 individuals touring the Innovation District. They’ve explored the world of phytoplankton with scientists from FWC and learned the basics of flight from the team at St. Pete Air.
Two helpful opportunities are available for small businesses focused on growth and innovation: FL FAST Webinars: The next session is on August 5 and will cover Communicating with the DoD — a key step for companies interested in Department of Defense SBIR/STTR funding. Learn more.
Our neighbors at the ARK Innovation Center, MADTECH.AI, are doing some seriously impressive work. As a Marketing Decision Intelligence platform, they’ve built a system that takes the headache out of data wrangling and lets teams focus on strategy. Their tools unify, transform, and visualize data in one AI-powered hub—saving time and uncovering insights faster.