MS&T:
What Health Care, Video Gaming & Defense
Among growing tech industries in Orlando, one
creates top video games, including Madden NFL, NBA LIVE and Rory McIlroy
in particular has had a transformative impact
PGA TOUR. The company has led the industry in developing immersive and
on the state’s economy.
realistic experiences not just for entertainment, but for educational purposes too.
Modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) is
In December 2015, EA launched Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers, an
responsible for a $5 billion annual economic
educational video game designed to get students excited about science,
impact and supports more than 60,000
technology, engineering and math through football. Available at no cost to
high-wage jobs statewide. Those jobs span
educators, the game teaches students how and why certain plays work using
industries including health care, video gaming,
the principles of math and science. (The game is offered free to teachers
defense and other specialized ields. With
everywhere.)
great collaboration and expertise located in
one area, Orlando continues to move into the
Beyond developing educational games, the global gaming company has also
spotlight as the nation’s epicenter for MS&T.
signiicantly impacted the growth of MS&T in Orlando.
Taking root in Central Florida in the 1940s, the
“Many former EA employees have gone on to form new companies that grow
region’s MS&T cluster provides training for a
the overall technology sector in Central Florida,” said Daryl Holt, vice president
number of jobs, including light simulators to
and group chief operating oficer of EA – Tiburon. “Beyond that, EA has played
train pilots and hyper-realistic dummies to
a role in forming and supporting higher education programs, like the Florida
train nurses. The new technology is changing
how doctors, teachers and engineers learn
necessary skills. With such a broad deinition
of training, varied industries are making it their
own.
spur the industry forward.”
While gaming is a key component of The Corridor’s MS&T cluster, medical
simulation takes a different approach.
One local company producing cutting-edge
simulation technology is Electronic Arts (EA) –
Tiburon. Based in Orlando, EA – Tiburon is one of
the largest video game studios in the world and
50
Interactive Entertainment Academy at the University of Central Florida, helping
florida.HIGH.TECH 2016
Florida Hospital has a state-of-the-art medical learning facility in Celebration
dedicated to training physicians. Having trained more than 50,000 surgeons
over the last decade, the Florida Hospital Nicholson Center offers settings