Blog

The U.S. had landed on the moon again after 50 years. Kudos to Lonestar Data Holdings, a Maritime and Defense Technology Hub tenant, for being part of this remarkable event.

Even with an extra day in the month, I am running late with the February newsletter. Its been a busy and exciting time. Last Tuesday we announced a new project - Catching the Blue Wave: Accelerating America’s Ocean Economy.

For entrepreneurs, this network of support organizations can be challenging to navigate. The hope is that this map helps direct entrepreneurs to the best possible resources.

The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida name Alison Barlow - Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District - as one of their 2024 Woman of Distinction.

Kudos to our friends with Salty Science. This team of four marine scientists, including one USF professor, rowed across an ocean, for the oceans. Click here to learn more.

Last week St. Pete Innovation District hosted its 6th State of Science and Innovation. This event highlights innovators who are doing creative, thought-provoking, and impactful work. This is always a favorite event of the year and once again the event didn't disappoint.

The St. Pete Science Festival is an annual regional celebration where families and the public can explore the wonders of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).

The Dali recently introduced a new exhibit - Dalí & the Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Degas & More. Curated by Dr. William Jeffett, the exhibit includes 22 paintings by 18 artists, along with 18 of Dali’s earliest paintings from the St. Pete facility’s permanent collection.

The Maritime and Defense Technology Hub continues welcome new technology companies to our community. The latest is Tocaro Blue.

Embracing Our Differences, an international art exhibition focused on promoting inclusion, kindness, and respect will be debuting in Poynter Park March 2nd through the 31st.

Blue Ring Imaging will now operate under the VideoRay umbrella and utilize in the Innovation District as an applied research and testing location.

The District Trolley Tour is a unique opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and see innovation in action. The tour starts when you board the Trolley and meet your fellow passengers who have diverse interests and experiences but one thing in common - excitement for the Innovation District.

Predicting the path and intensity of a hurricane is a complex science that employs not just satellite imagery, but also state-of-the-art drones that can dive, sail and fly straight into the heart of the most powerful storms (Wall Street Journal). St. Petersburg plays a role in this important work as a regional base for Saildrone at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub.

Entrepreneurs and established businesses struggle to understand the Tampa Bay innovation ecosystem. Whether they are relocating or already here, the diversity of support resources spread across multiple cities and counties is daunting.

Kudos to St. Petersburg College (SPC) for their recent win of a grant to bolster STEM workforces in technology innovation sectors. Awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), this grant is intended to strengthen training programs and apprenticeship opportunities to ensure that individuals can build careers in STEM fields in their own communities.

I am often asked "How does St. Petersburg compare to other Innovation Districts?" I have visited several Innovation Districts and met virtually with more. Each one is based on the same framework, sometimes explicitly and sometimes by happenstance. But their focus is different.

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.

This fall, the USF St. Pete campus is launching the fifth year of the Innovation Scholars Career Shadowing Program. Started through an unique collaboration between USF and the Innovation District, the program provides job shadowing opportunities for incoming, high-achieving, first-year students.

Hub tenants SummitET and The Darkstar Group have been recognized as fastest-growing private companies in America as part of Inc. 5000 2023. Both SummitET and The Darkstar Group share a common thread of innovation, resilience, and a forward-thinking approaches.

Innovation Labs at The Dalí is hosting on September 16th a half day Introduction to Creative Thinking using tools and methods by top creativity scholars and practitioners. This workshop is a great opportunity to boost your creative problem solving skills and confidence.

PVM, a digital services company based in the Innovation District and founded by Pat Mack, a St. Pete native, has partnered with the City of St. Petersburg to improve the city's open data portal - StPeteStat.

At the Hub's July Tech X-change attendees heard from Airbox Systems / Gates Defense about their comprehensive suite of situational awareness tools.

After a 4,000-mile journey, a 117-foot twin-hulled ship granted to the University of South Florida (USF) is docked at its new home port in St. Petersburg, where it will be operated by the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) to offer transformative opportunities for students to explore and advance the field of ocean science.

The USF Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities (FCSUA) has chosen the Tampa Bay Rays as the 2023 recipient of the Inclusive Employer Award because of their collaboration with the USF’s Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program.