In 2008, Alachua County outpaced both the state of Florida and the U.S. average in terms of educational attainment, with 39% of the population holding bachelor’s degrees or higher compared to 26% and 27%, respectively, at the state and national level.
Greater Gainesville has access to a significant engineering talent pool – in 2007 alone, 1,854 engineering degrees were awarded at UF and Santa Fe College, including 663 graduate degrees. In addition, 2,747 degrees and certificates were awarded in Health Professions and Clinical Science, 2,228 in Business and Management, and 901 in Agricultural Science.
The Biomedical industry is emerging as a regional economic driver, expanding 40% between 2003–2008 and comprising one of the fastest growing employment bases in the region. Other high-growth industries over the past five years include building and construction, research, professional services and logistics.
In 2008, UF received more than $560 million in sponsored research funding across 6,175 individual awards. Over the past 10 years, the University of Florida has seen rapid growth in sponsored research, with funding increasing at an annual rate of approximately 11.1% between 1999 and 2003 and 6.3% between 2004 and 2007.
The majority of funding for research at UF goes to Life Sciences, with the Health Science Center receiving 52% ($127 million) and the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences receiving 19% ($39 million) in 2008.
Greater Gainesville has successfully leveraged its research funding to become a center of knowledge formation, generating around 150 patents each year over the last five years, with a peak of 169 in 2006. The region’s patent strength is primarily in the Life Sciences, which makes up more than 50% of all patents.
UF has had much recent success translating research into marketable products, with its technology transfer income nearly tripling in the past ten years from $22 million in 1999 to $52 million in 2008. It was ranked as one of the top five American universities in technology transfer by the Milken Institute in 2007.
UF also has a strong track record of commercialization and start-up activity; in 2007 alone it produced nine start-up companies. Many of these companies transition into one of the region’s successful incubators, Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center and the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator.
Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator ranked second in the world in the National Business Incubation Association’s Incubator of the Year award. Since its inception in 1995, Sid Martin has admitted 36 companies, graduated 11 (three of which were acquired), and raised nearly $100 million in private funding.
Gainesville has received high ratings from a variety of prestigious national rankings, including: No. 12 in “Best Places for Business and Careers” by Forbes Magazine (2007); No. 22 ”The Smartest Cities in America” by Forbes.com (2008); No. 47 in “100 Best Places to Live and Launch” by Fortune Small Business Magazine (2008), No. 50 ”Best Places for Business and Careers” by Forbes Magazine (2009).
Leveraging the Greater Gainesville Knowledge Economy for Traditional and Emerging Cluster Growth: Implementation Phase
The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, along with other regional business, academic and civic leaders, is collaborating in an effort focused on the future of Gainesville’s capacity to innovate and build businesses from the Knowledge Economy. Toward that end, development of the Knowledge Economy Road Map has created a specific course of action and set of tactics to position Greater Gainesville more competitively.
Phase One in this process involved a regional analysis and assessment of Greater Gainesville’s assets and innovation infrastructure, which was supplemented by more than 100 individual interviews and small group forums with members of the community. The Phase One analysis revealed strong innovation capabilities, an enviable research and technological asset base and unique opportunities that distinguish Gainesville. This culminated in the identification of three “Big Ideas” that have the potential to drive regional transformation. At the same time, challenges were also identified; connectivity, talent development, regional partnerships, and external branding/communication. These four challenges have become the four “Fundamental Actions” that must be addressed in order to move forward with a successful regional strategy.
Phase Two is focused on implementation through addressing the four “Fundamental Actions” and exposing the “Big Ideas” to rigorous vetting. The following diagram depicts the framework for this process, taking place under the “Innovation Gainesville” banner.
Four 10-15 person Action Teams – comprised of entrepreneurs and industry representatives, academic and research professionals, workforce deliverers, and community leaders – have been formed: Connectivity (supporting mentors, bridge-builders and innovation leadership); Talent Development (pathways to prosperity for youth and students); Partners for Innovation (public-private Partnerships); and Communications (branding and external communications). Each Action Team will develop a detailed business plan that identifies objectives and implementation strategies for addressing its designated focus area.
The Innovation Advocates consist of twenty community leaders in education, workforce, and development/planning, as well as private and philanthropic sectors. Innovation Advocates are the civic investors in the project, committing their time, reputation, and resources to driving the project towards transformative results. They will critically evaluate the Action Teams’ business plans and integrate them into a final “master” strategy that identifies immediate-, near-, and long-term opportunities and investments required by the region. At the end of the process, Innovation Advocates will be take ownership of the next steps and jump-start implementation of the master strategy. The four Action Team business plans will be completed by Dec. 17th, 2009 and the final master strategy will be completed by mid-January 2010 and presented at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on January 28th, 2010.
