SkyWater Technology – the only U.S.-owned and U.S.-based pure play semiconductor foundry – is coming to NeoCity in an agreement approved by the Osceola County Commission and company officials today.

SkyWater, which specializes in development and manufacturing of integrated circuits, will take over operation of the Center of NeoVation from the University of Central Florida. UCF is surrendering its obligations and investment under the existing lease agreement. BRIDG will remain as a non-profit partner to attract industry collaboration, while also fulfilling, and building upon, existing Department of Defense contracts.

Working with local utilities, the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners has launched a new program to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 to meet utility payments.

The one-time grant, the Commercial Utilities Assistance Program is designed to work seamlessly with Toho Water Authority, KUA and Duke Energy all participating.

Based on feedback from applicants, Osceola County is streamlining the Business Assistance Grant Program to make it even easier for businesses to apply.

Details of the new grant are available on the www.weveopenedsafely.com. The new criteria utilizes four categories instead of employee count and offers a flat amount ranging from $5,000 to $75,000.

NASA has selected 31 promising space technologies for testing aboard a variety of aircraft for their Space Tech Program.

Two of the technologies that will be tested belong to imec, a neighbor to NeoCity Academy. As a part of imec’s application to NASA, NeoCity Academy was included to fly two student experiments into suborbital flight aboard a Blue Origin launch in the spring or fall 2021.

With a decades-long history of providing jobs to support Osceola County families, PepsiCo’s subsidiary, SVC Manufacturing, Inc., which produces Gatorade, will invest $30 million at its plant located at 1650 S. Poinciana Blvd. This project will install a new manufacturing line which is expected to begin operations in mid-2021 and will result in the creation of 40 additional jobs, bringing the total of full-time positions at the plant to nearly 200.