Florida Chamber 1st tech and innovation conference
By Lauren Coffey – TBBJ & Inno Reporter, Tampa Bay Business Journal
Aug 8, 2022Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, knows the reputation the Sunshine State has.
“A lot of people have this perception of Florida,” he said. “It’s been known as a place for tourism, for agriculture, for construction. And it’s true those industries are important, but it’s not the whole story. We have a lot of innovation, a lot of technology and people don’t know it.”
Wilson is looking to change that with the chamber’s inaugural Florida Technology & Innovation Solution Summit slated for later this month. While tech and innovation-focused summits are nothing new in Florida, Wilson hopes to serve as a guidepost for those previously unaware of the innovation the state has to offer.
“The current conferences out there are for people already in the industry — who are sharing best practices and talking about what’s next,” he said. “We’re talking about, if we want Florida to become the state of innovation.”
The event, which will be both in-person and online, is Aug. 31 at the JW Marriot Water Street. It will bring technology leaders, government officials and university leaders under one roof, as well as a showcase to broadcast the diversified Florida economy.
Wilson hopes the chamber’s version of a tech-focused conference goes beyond raising awareness and can morph into policies in Tallahassee. He pointed out Florida’s low amount of state funding for research and development, for example, which puts the state at No. 47 in the nation. There’s also venture capital funding, which every ecosystem believes has more room to grow.
“We want to highlight what the other conferences are doing,” Wilson said. “And every year we can work with elected leaders to say, ‘How can we better support research and universities?’ How can we promote the generation to jobs and careers that exist in Florida?’”
He’s optimistic a change in awareness, coupled with state support, could keep tech and innovation industry workers in the state, those who would have otherwise left after graduation.
“We have so much innovation and no one knows it; so we want to get the word out and double down on policies,” he said. “If the next generation doesn’t know Florida is a hotbed of innovation … students don’t need to grow up in Florida thinking they have to leave. We have amazing opportunities right here in Florida.”
Source: Florida Chamber first tech and innovation conference – Tampa Bay Business Journal