Building Florida's High-Tech Manufacturing Sector

As the global manufacturing industry shifts away from classically portrayed steel and car plants to a modernized approach of high-tech manufacturing; companies, countries, and states find themselves looking for a way to best position themselves to benefit from the future of manufacturing. Florida finds itself in a unique position to capitalize on an existing project that could help the state become a world leader in high-tech manufacturing for years to come.

The International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR) is a public- private partnership that looks to expand Florida’s high-tech manufacturing sector. ICAMR recently broke ground on a location in the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (FAMRC) in Osceola County. The location will allow ICAMR to expand and create the opportunity for private business to locate research centers in the same area, creating a cluster effect. ICAMR plans to “develop innovative manufacturing processes, materials, and equipment for advanced sensors and other future high-tech products.” The project currently partners local governments, state universities, and the private sector (with plans to include state investment) creating an early entrance into the budding field of high-tech manufacturing.

Documents to download

Previous Article Meeting Florida's Transportation Investment Needs
Next Article A Catalyst for Growth
Print
3416
0Upvote 0Downvote
«February 2026»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
26
Florida’s Space Coast is Well-Positioned to Dominate the Future of the Aerospace Industry

Florida’s Space Coast is Well-Positioned to Dominate the Future of the Aerospace Industry

For more than 60 years, Florida’s Space Coast—anchored by Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS)—has served as a premier gateway to space, driving tourism, high-tech jobs, and statewide economic output. After major federal program shifts in the 2010s led to significant regional job losses, Florida’s modern commercial-space resurgence—supported by Space Florida’s strategy to diversify the supply chain, modernize infrastructure, and attract private capital—has positioned the Space Coast to lead the next era of aerospace growth.

Read more
27282930311
2345
New General Revenue Forecast Adds $572.5 Million for the Next Budget

New General Revenue Forecast Adds $572.5 Million for the Next Budget

The General Revenue (GR) Estimating Conference met on January 23 to adopt Florida’s latest GR forecast—the estimate that tells lawmakers how much is available for the next state budget. The updated forecast adds $572.5 million to the amount available for the upcoming budget year, but while meaningful, it amounts to only about one percent of total GR collections.

Read more
678
910
Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk

Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk

Florida TaxWatch examines the City of Clearwater’s plan to acquire Duke Energy Florida’s electric distribution assets and establish a municipal electric utility (MEU) in response to concerns over electric rates and service quality. While the City’s feasibility study projects modest short-term rate savings, Florida TaxWatch finds those projections rely on unrealistic assumptions—most notably an “overnight” conversion that ignores the likely decade-long, costly eminent domain process required to acquire Duke’s assets. Drawing on national municipalization case studies, the report highlights high failure rates, underestimated acquisition and severance costs, loss of economies of scale, and substantial financial exposure for taxpayers. Florida TaxWatch concludes that the proposed MEU represents a high-risk endeavor with limited upside and recommends the City pursue a renegotiated franchise agreement with Duke Energy Florida as a more prudent path forward.

Read more
1112131415
16171819202122
2324252627281
2345678

Archive