The document summarizes various accolades and statistics about Gainesville, Florida that position it as an innovative city with a strong knowledge economy. It highlights Gainesville's rankings as a top city for young professionals, education, and job growth. The local universities and research institutions are noted as key drivers of the regional economy in fields like biotechnology, renewable energy, and agriculture.

1. Gainesville, Florida We make cool things happen.

4. Gainesville, FL - home to the University of Florida - is the biggest projected gainer, with a projected 17.7 percent increase in creative class jobs. Author: Richard Florida. The Atlantic ( August 2010)

6. Gainesville/Alachua County

7. Gainesville & Alachua County Population Alachua County: 259,560 Gainesville: 124,919 Region: 1,168,959 State of Florida: 18,880,367 Gainesville’s favorable location within North Central Florida draws from a population base of more than a million

10. Demographic Indicators: Regional Education Experience Source: WITS (Demographics Now) This is view of how Alachua County significantly outperforms the other counties in the region in terms of educational attainment; this is a critical asset that should be better leveraged to grow and recruit companies and retain students. As was noted further in the interview and forum stages, the disparate nature from one high school to the next, one program to the next demands a closer analysis and drill-down into the work required for a county-wide standard of excellence. Educational Attainment (% Bachelor or higher)

11. Education Level Attained Alachua County contains some of the most highly skilled residents in the State of Florida Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security, Bureau of Labor Market Information, Florida Planning Report

12. Cost of Living From 2007 - 2010, the cost of living in Gainesville has remained below the national average.

16. Data Highlights: New facts on the uniqueness of the Gainesville economy

17. What is currently driving the regional economy? Source: Moody’s economy.com Obviously the regional economy has a good spread of sectors, industries and therefore jobs. The size of the bubble is the relative size of the regional employment total, and the growth to the right of the axis suggests those sectors that are still continuing to expand, especially biomedical, research, building and construction, engineering and design. Yet, not taking into account the 2009 decline nor necessary interventions to continue growth and competitiveness will suggest that the region must create its own future.

18. Research Findings: Gainesville Knowledge Economy Building Blocks Innovation Driver Building Blocks Clean Technology Competency Building Blocks Industry Sector Building Blocks “ Smart” Infrastructure Advanced Computing Nanotech & Devices IT & Software Advanced Materials Biological Sciences Process Engineer- ing Human Life Science 21 st Century Logistics Alternative Energy Agricultural Life Science

27. Innovation Gainesville #1 Asset = KNOWLEDGE!

30. LEARN Innovatively – TechQuest

32. Local UF Bioscience Startups Source: Office of Technology Licensing, University of Florida

33. Progress Corporate Park 1,200 + Employees

34. Major Gainesville Employers Employees University of Florida 14,723 Shands Hospital 12,588 Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4,317 Alachua County School Board 4,299 City of Gainesville 2,200 Florida DCFS 2,319 Publix Supermarkets 2,056 North Florida Regional Medical Center 1,700 Nationwide Insurance Company 1,300 Alachua County 1,120 Santa Fe College 796 Wal-Mart Distribution Center 736 Gator Dining Services 625 Dollar General Distribution Center 624

37. What else is happening to drive jobs and innovation?

38. Cade Museum for Innovation & Invention The Cotton Club

39. Innovation Square

40. Shortening the journey from discovery to market for Florida’s tech startup companies.

41. Infusion Technology Center

43. Workscape the ecology of the new office

44. Site and Context

46. We make cool things happen.