They don't call Florida the "sunshine state" for no reason. With hundreds of miles of beaches, an abundance of tropical vegetation, and plenty of delightful weather, it's a natural magnet for those seeking to escape to a modern day paradise. But there's been another kind of sun shining down on Florida.
While the locals and tourists no doubt enjoy all that sand and sun, there's been a revolution in medical technology manufacturing. Oz Ozkaya of Florida's Infinium Medical has called Florida a virtual "Silicon Valley for medical manufacturing." And it's not just in medical fields. Virtually all high-tech fields are present and growing. Mr. Ozkava's description is spot-on.
What's contributed to that reputation? Here's a look.
Innovation
Business in general in Florida has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades, and in Florida "innovation" has become the norm. Much of their success has come by being committed to collaborations between education and industry. "Collaboration and how community gets built will help set our area apart," said Natalia Martinez of the Cambridge Innovation Center.
For a fascinating and in-depth look at how Florida business has achieved this, take a look at the report published by the University of Florida. In short, it's a story of partnership and cooperation in working towards a common goal, and it's paid off handsomely.
Talent
Of course, all of that innovation and collaboration is dependent on talent. And when it comes to Florida talent, there's definitely no shortage. The numbers tell the story. Florida is ranked fourth in the United States for high-tech employment by CompTIA. Further, Florida has a labor pool of high-tech workers that's approaching a quarter million and is #1 in high tech employment in the Southeast U.S. As reported by CBRE, tech job creation grew faster in the past two years (2015-2016) compared with the prior two-year period (2013-2014) in 28 of the 50 markets. The Miami area's tech talent pool grew 22.8 percent from 2015 to 2016 . . . while Fort Lauderdale's talent pool grew 21.3 percent. And that places both cities in the top 10 in the nation.
Looking forward, it's projected that from that solid base, Florida will continue to be in the top-ranked in high-tech talent.
What It Means
Taking a step back and viewing the bigger picture, what does having a substantial bank of talent and a mindset of collaboration mean? For the individual, it means opportunities to partner and work with some of the best in your chosen field. For the business, it means an assurance that the innovation and advancement required to remain competitive in our ever-changing world will be available.
In summary, it certainly looks like Florida should be on anyone's short list. Is it on yours? If not, be sure to check out the video below. I'll be amazed if you haven't added Florida by the time you've finished viewing it!
I'm a serial entrepreneur, with a resume that makes me look like a Jane of all trades. Pretty sure we are all reluctant Messiahs, travelling through life planting seeds where ever we can. Hopefully, most of mine have been good ones! MA from Miami University (Ohio, not Florida), BA from Cal State.
