Target Clusters

Research & Manufacturing of Smart Sensors & Photonics in Greater Osceola County

Smart sensors and photonics devices are expected to play a major role in the growth of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) and become a dominant product in semiconductor manufacturing.

The 50 billion devices connected by the IoT are expected to boost the global market value of smart sensors from $79.5 billion in 2013 to $154 billion in 2020.

Smart sensors are playing an increasingly important role in aerospace and national defense, energy, agriculture, transportation, healthcare and life sciences, communications and information technology sectors.  International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR), with its industry partners, will lead to increased manufacturing of devices, development of new applications and systems, analysis of “big data” and focus on cyber security in Florida.

Benefits of Greater Osceola for Smart Sensors and Photonics

  • $200 million Center of Neovation is operated by the BRIDG, the first industry-led research effort in smart sensors in the world.
  • University of Central Florida’s College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) is an internationally recognized leader in research and commercialization.
  • Over 270 companies in Florida’s photonics cluster employ 5,700 people with a $3.6 billion annual impact on the Florida economy.
  • 500,000 people are enrolled at colleges and universities within a 100 mile radius of Greater Osceola.
  • Center of Neovation is located within one mile of the Valencia College/UCF campus in Kissimmee.
  • BRIDG has over 100 industry, university and national lab partners in all aspects of the smart sensor value chain.
  • Three universities (UCF, UF, USF) in the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (The Corridor) individually rank among the 40 top universities worldwide for patents granted.  Patents issued to The Corridor universities outnumber the Research Triangle in North Carolina and University of Texas/Texas A&M systems.
  • Center of Neovation provides shovel-ready sites for companies that want to be near BRIDG.  Other sites and buildings are available in Greater Osceola.

Incentives for Smart Sensors and Photonics in Greater Osceola

  • Research matching grants available through The Corridor
  • Workforce training programs for new and incumbent workers through CareerSource Central Florida
  • Capital equipment investment assistance
  • Grants for your specific type of manufacturing
  • Property and sales tax incentives
  • Infrastructure development assistance
  • Becoming part of an incubator program