Accelerating Research
The Corridor’s Matching Grants Research Program (MGRP) fosters applied research
partnerships between technology companies and research experts from our three
universities to innovate and find solutions that advance economic development.
Since inception of the MGRP in 1996, Corridor investments have been matched by
corporate cash and in-kind donations to generate more than $1 billion in quantifiable
downstream impacts.
2016-2017 MGRP Highlights:
• 62 MGRP projects
• 48 high tech companies partnering with student and faculty research teams
• $3.4 million investment in cash by The Corridor
• $10.7 million investment in cash, in-kind services and equipment by industry partners
Cultivating High Tech Workforce
Not only does The Corridor grow high tech industry, but also the workforce to support it.
Our efforts to strengthen the talent pipeline reach students from middle school to post-
secondary education and beyond.
• stemCONNECT: “stemCONNECT” was established this year as the new identity for
our workforce initiatives. It truly does make the connection between academia and
private industry by bringing together classrooms and experts in high tech industry
for engaging and free presentations. stemCONNECT has already impacted more
than 5,000 students across the region since we launched virtual sessions in 2013
and has the potential to impact thousands more through partnerships formed this
year with Boys & Girls Clubs and Junior Achievement. (stemCONNECT was an
aspect of our in-person program and became the focus of our outreach in 2017.)
Efforts to enhance classroom learning continued in our annual in-person session
hosted by stemCONNECT for nearly 80 teachers during the Interservice/Industry
Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), the world’s largest modeling,
simulation and training (MS&T) conference. MS&T industry partners shared updates
on technology advancements and talent needs, providing insight to help teachers
better prepare students for real-world applications of classroom lessons. Teachers
and industry partners can learn more and register for stemCONNECT at www.
flstemconnect.com.
• Career Expo 2017: For the fourth time, The Corridor’s Career Expo (CE)
brought together nearly 50 companies, economic development organizations
and K-12 school systems, along with more than 50 universities and colleges
in Florida and surrounding states for discussions about talent development,
attraction and retention. Career Expo is critical to many of The Corridor’s high
tech industry partners for its effectiveness in recruiting top talent, which is
reflected in a new name for the March 2018 event: The Corridor Talent Forum.
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2017 Annual Report to the Community