Focus Areas
The power of solar seems like a natural in the Sunshine State as Florida companies vie to come up with the Next Great Idea for capturing the sun's energy, reusing garbage, developing nuclear power, harnessing water power and turning organic substances into alternative energy resources.
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From the downtown Tampa skyline's dozen or so ultramodern 30-story+ high-rise office and residential buildings to the historic courthouses and Victorian homes anchoring places like Bartow, Brooksville and Dade City, the region's architectural choices demonstrate a broad array of tastes for new and old.
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Art lovers get their pick of museums, art festivals and cultural events every week of the year as the region's top private indoor venues and public outdoor spaces host performances and put on displays that prove worthy of critical acclaim and nearly always draw a crowd.
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People from all over the world call the Tampa Bay region home as evidenced by the multitude of non-English languages heard in every shopping center and throughout the region's schools. The foreign-born, in particular, are helping Florida thrive by adding a rich diversity of fabulous eats, arts, cultures, skills and entrepreneurial spirit to the eclectic mix of natives who've long recognized Florida as the land of opportunity.
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Long seen as a perfect place to pioneer ideas and make investments, the Tampa Bay region has a well-earned reputation for growing the smallest seeds of entrepreneurial spirit into grandiose plans to solve the world's problems. Take air conditioning, for example. Few places contain a richer history that promises more for the future.
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What gives residents of the Tampa Bay region a sense of place? How about the downtown Tampa skyline? The wealth of arts venues in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota? The neighborhoods filled with bungalows, rails-to-trails and beaches that connect communities? There's Dunedin's Main Street. And Bartow's Courthouse. And Bradenton's Village of the Arts. And Lakeland's lake homes. There are spectacular planned communities like Lakewood Ranch, Fishhawk Ranch and Westchase. There are superb medical facilities like Moffitt Cancer Center, All Children's Hospital and Tampa General, and exceptional colleges and universities like USF, HCC, Eckerd, Stetson and New College. There are fabulous golf courses, public parks and riverfront properties. And what about all those Third Places, where we hang out when we're not at work and we're not at home? Those places and so much more make up the unique fabric of the Tampa Bay environment and give us a sense of place that residents are lucky enough to call home.
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If health is measured by the number and quality of care providers - hospitals, clinics, treatment centers and nursing facilities - the Tampa Bay region is in good shape. Plenty of options await those in need as do choices for healthier living from recreation and sports to spas and places to relax.
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The University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Eckerd College, the Ringling School of Art & Design, New College, Saint Leo University and a host of higher education institutions fuel the region's economy. USF alone, with top-tier researchers and nearly 47,000 students, places a special emphasis on awarding masters and doctoral degrees that rival those of much older, better-known institutions worldwide.
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Florida's heavy dependence on the real estate market remains strong despite the recent economic downturn thanks to a mix of housing choices ranging from mobile homes to new suburbs to urban and beach condos that continue to attract those who want to live in Jimmy Buffett's paradise.
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Large financial services providers, led by JPMorgan Chase and DTCC (the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp.), find the Tampa Bay region an ideal work environment for clients and white-collar employees who once migrated toward much larger urban areas. The result: A vibrant and competitive industry that fosters innovations for businesses and consumers.
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The Tampa and Manatee seaports along with Tampa International Airport and a dozen or so smaller regional ports make for world-class accommodations when it comes to doing business overseas. With trade to Central and South America as well as to Europe and Asia on the upswing, Florida stands poised to increase its market share.
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The University of South Florida is increasingly known as a national leader in research and development in the life sciences thanks to collaborative partnerships with growing companies like Draper Laboratory, SRI St. Petersburg, Merck, the Roskamp Institute and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.
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METI in Sarasota and NDH Medical in St. Petersburg are at the center of a growing cluster of medical device manufacturing companies attracted to the Tampa Bay region's ample supply of patients and ability to create the synergy necessary to create a vibrant industry workforce.
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Mote Marine in Bradenton, USF-St. Petersburg and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa are leading the way when it comes to all things water and the abundance of life within. All are involved in new and innovative research that promises to improve the world's health and environment.
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Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronics, onto teeny, tiny devices promises an era of lighter-weight products for every industry and application from security to energy to health to environment. Draper Laboratory, a recent immigrant to Tampa Bay, is leading the charge.
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Producing good quality, affordable housing remains one of the top opportunities in a region that prides itself in the number and variety of home choices from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions in neighborhoods as mixed as the incomes of those who reside within.
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An aging population suffering increases in incidences of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases along with dementia and other brain disorders, plus thousands of military veterans returning stateside with head injuries that once would have proved fatal, make for a solid population base to foster new developments in brain science at regional universities, VA hospitals and long-term care facilities.
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The green movement is alive and well in the Tampa Bay region with builders scrambling to obtain LEED certifications and cities passing ordinances requiring construction meet new environmentally friendly specs. Among those leading local efforts: Earth Charter and the Urban Charrette. Recognition for Best Practices by Sustainable Florida include Hillsborough Community College for its South Shore Center and the City of St. Petersburg for its Green City Initiative.
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he Tampa Bay region is at the hub of an expanding talent pool in Florida, driven largely by a distinguishable sense of place, growing cultural arts venues and successes at the University of South Florida and other institutions of higher learning and related industries. The state as a whole must continue to explore options for becoming fully competitive on the global level by attracting top employers and employees, and creating opportunities for all to thrive. Much progress has been made in the right direction in recent decades and the potential to grow smarter and better remains huge.
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The Tampa Bay region's love affair with the automobile may change in coming years as community leaders apply for federal stimulus money to build high-speed rail to Orlando and ask voters to consider paying extra sales taxes to support light rail. Both ideas are gaining traction among certain sectors and are likely to be fueled farther by the growing number of people demanding greater transportation options such as pedestrian friendly streets, water taxis and bicycle paths.
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Today's economic changes combined with the aging of Boomers out of traditional industries means for a wealth of people looking to reinvent themselves to remain vibrant contributors to the region's workforce while sharing experiences earned over a lifetime.
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