Blog

Last month’s Tech X-Change at the ARK Innovation Center was buzzing, thanks to Archer Key, one of the growing companies based at ARK. The event drew a strong crowd of curious minds eager to hear how Archer Key helps startups and small teams scale like pros.

Last month, the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub kicked off the school year with a lively Retro Back-to-School themed Happy Hour. Tenants brought their families, and the space was filled with throwback snacks, classic laser backdrop photo ops, and plenty of nostalgic fun.

Electric air vehicles may sound futuristic, but for St. Pete, they’re already on the radar. The Advanced Air Mobility Taskforce, chaired by Ed Montanari, is bringing together engineers, business leaders, pilots, and innovators to explore how these vehicles could take flight in and around the city.

Once again, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital has been named Florida’s No. 1 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Other nationally ranked specialties include diabetes and endocrinology at No. 17 and neurology and neurosurgery at No. 22.

Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay's 3DE initiative connects high school students with local and national businesses, giving them hands-on experience in problem-solving.

October always feels like conference season — a time when professionals from around the world gather to exchange ideas, explore emerging trends, and strengthen collaborations. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the OCEANS 2025 Conference in Chicago, a global gathering for those advancing ocean science and maritime technology.

Port Security Conference – November 4 and Underwater Minerals Conference – November 9 - 14

Thank you to all the ARK Innovation Center and Maritime & Defense Tech Hub tenants who joined us for Rowdies Networking Night with the Chamber! It was one of our first social events together and it rocked. We loved connecting outside the office and cheering on the team from the Bayshore Lounge.

Lonestar Data Holdings, based in St. Petersburg, is still going strong after its launch to the Moon in February. Since then, the company has joined a $120 million partnership with Sidus Space and opened a new office in Austin, Texas. Keep following Lonestar’s success as they’ve got big plans in store for 2027.

The innovative ideas are flowing at our Tech X-Changes. Dr. Marcus Beck presented great material on tbeptools, an open-source software program built to visualize data used by TBEP. Visit the tbeptools page for more information.

We rely on hurricane categories to gauge risk, but what if the scale is leaving out the biggest dangers? Jennifer Collins, a hurricane researcher and professor in USF’s School of Geosciences, coauthored a new research paper proposing a more comprehensive approach.

The Poynter Institute has kicked off the fifteenth year of its Write Field Program, an inspiring initiative that teaches middle school students how to become stronger writers and communicators under the guidance of professional journalists.

We’re deep into drafting the Tampa Bay Ocean Strategy, a bold blueprint to spotlight our rising ocean economy and the region’s strategic edge. With a clear, unified message, we’re positioning Tampa Bay to attract national attention and future investment.

‍Join us on our next tour of the Innovation District! Our tour will begin at the HUB, and we will board a trolley with other Innovation District partners. As we travel throughout the District, you will learn about the fascinating history and exciting future plans for the area.

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.

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.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program works to build public and private partnerships to restore and protect Tampa Bay. Critical to this effort is the use of environmental indicators to describe status and trends of bay health.

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, in partnership with Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, is introducing a capacity-building grant initiative that exemplifies strategic, next-level support. In 2025, they will award up to $10,000 each to 20 nonprofits serving South St. Petersburg.

A joint venture by Tampa Bay Wave and USF, the 2025 cohort of the nationally recognized FinTech|X Accelerator kicked off on August 4th, supporting high-growth fintech startups through an intensive 8-week program. This year’s class includes St. Petersburg-based innovators HappiNest.AI and Congruit Inc. The program leverages USF’s world-class faculty, research, and business networks to help founders scale impactful technologies.

The Emergency Nurses Association’s (ENA) Lantern Award recognizes leadership, practice, education, and advocacy leading to an increase in patient care and staff well-being.

As part of our ongoing Morning Sparks breakfast series, we brought together District partners for another dynamic session to spark ideas and conversation around the future of Innovation Districts. Here are four key takeaways amongst the coffee and conversations.

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.