Blog

I recently had the opportunity to attend the inaugural summit of Innovation Districts. Hosted by the Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID), it was a chance to exchange ideas with 49 other districts from around the world. One of the most asked questions at the event was “how do we compare?”

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.

Saildrone and Palantir have announced a new strategic partnership that is set to transform maritime security. By accelerating the deployment of autonomous systems, this collaboration unlocks advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-driven maritime solutions at scale.

The Innovation District has partnered once again with Pinellas County Economic Development and the FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center for the annual Pinellas Defense Networking Forum. This is a great opportunity to meet with fellow defense contractors to discuss key challenges and explore potential partnerships.

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.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) South Florida District Office has named Pat Mack, Founder and CEO of PVM, as the 2025 South Florida Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year. Kudos to Pat for this important recognition.

We have long recognized the amazing gem we have in the Salvador Dali Museum. We are thrilled to see that USA Today and its panel of experts and readers have agreed. The Dali is one of 10 art museums selected in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 2025. Kudos to the Dali team!

Kudos to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital for breaking ground on a new hospital in Wesley Chapel. We are excited to see them bring specialized pediatric care closer to home for families north of Tampa Bay.

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.

We are seeking entrepreneurs for an upcoming ocean enterprise accelerator. Hosted by our partner, Braid Theory, this 12-week program will focus on three aspects of commercialization: building capability, capacity and intellectual capital.

Lonestar Lunar's aspiration for the world’s first physical data center on the Moon has reached another milestone. Wednesday evening, they were part of the successful launch by Intuitive Machines. This is the second time this Hub tenant had made history.

The 7th annual State of Science and Innovation took place on January 15th at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. This favorite event was once again sold out. The in-person and online audiences heard from five innovators and one special guest about the remarkable work they are doing.

There were several accomplishments in 2024 we haven't had a chance to share yet. Thank you to our anchor institutions and partners that made this possible. 1st major grant - $13.9M NOAA 1st District Master Plan 2nd District Impact Report published 3rd year of the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub

We were excited to celebrate with Volunteers of America Florida the first birthday of Innovare on February 14th. This special moment recognized a truly "innovative" approach to housing we are proud to have in the Innovation District. You can read Innovare’s journey in a special series by the Tampa Bay Times: The Housing Experiment

2025 marked the 11th year for the St. Petersburg Science Festival and the 30th year for Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's MarineQuest. It was a fantastic opportunity for 1200+ 4th and 5th graders on School Days and 9K+ community members on the Public Day.

In 2016, the City of St. Petersburg joined the ranks of aspirational peers like Kendall Square in Cambridge and Cortex in St. Louis and formalized the St. Pete Innovation District. Eight years later, the District accounts for 9,000 jobs (7% of the City's total jobs). That is an 8.5% growth with 62.3% of the jobs paying above median wage.

Watch the amazing innovators at the 7th annual State of Science

Are you looking for a new opportunity? Join the St. Petersburg Innovation District Team!

Salvador Dalí continues to remind individuals of the practical application of Surrealism in everyday life.

The St Pete Science Festival is looking for volunteers and exhibitors to participate in the February 7 School Day and February 8 Public Festival. This regional celebration of the wonders of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) is a fun event for all ages.

Tampa Bay Innovation Center at the ARK Innovation Center is hosting an Idea Bootcamp. Typically, their 12-week accelerator program accepts 8 – 10 companies per cohort, but they realized many first-time startup founders that could benefit from the planning activities and tools may not be ready to commit to a fulltime program.

The District's favorite annual event - State of Science and Innovation - is coming up quickly. Be sure to reserve your complimentary ticket. This event features a series of fast-paced presentations by local innovators.

A robust innovation ecosystem is constantly expanding. We are excited for the recent acquisition of Hub tenant VideoRay.

Are you like me? Give me a physical map and I get excited! Maybe its a carryover from the pre-GPS days, but I think it is such a fun way to explore an area.