2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit: Summary Report

/ Categories: Research, Economic Development, Manufacturing, Workforce Development, Technology

Manufacturing is one of Florida’s leading industries and a key driver of job growth and economic strength, contributing more than $80 billion to Florida’s annual GDP. With more than 27,000 manufacturers—most of them small businesses with fewer than 20 employees—Florida’s manufacturing sector supports more than 430,000 high-wage jobs, with average salaries exceeding $78,000.

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.

It's Time to Reform Florida's Information Technology Procurement and Oversight

/ Categories: Research, Technology, Releases

This report highlights the chronic issues plaguing Florida's large-scale IT projects, such as inadequate planning, contracting, and management. These issues have led to the repeated formation and dissolution of a state agency overseeing these projects, with the most recent being the Florida Digital Service (FL[DS]) established in 2020. The paper provides a series of recommendations to prevent the failure of FL[DS]. These include forming a joint House and Senate IT committee for oversight, adopting a new governance model, standardizing statewide agency business processes, and revising Florida Statutes for better IT project procurement and vendor evaluation. Furthermore, the paper suggests methods to attract and retain IT talent, like offering signing bonuses, revising job descriptions to focus on skills, and creating a talent pipeline from the State University System. The report emphasizes the necessity for effective project management and strategic decisions to ensure the success of Florida's IT projects and to safeguard taxpayer investments​​.

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Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In

Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In

For millions of Floridians, the defining economic question of the mid-2020s isn't about growth or GDP — it's about whether they can still afford to stay.

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Tourism in Central Florida: Why Tourist Development Tax Revenue Should Not Be Diverted

Tourism in Central Florida: Why Tourist Development Tax Revenue Should Not Be Diverted

To remain competitive and sustain Florida’s share of the U.S. tourism market, Florida must continue to invest in tourism marketing and promotion to make sure that when tourists begin to plan their next vacation, they think first of Florida. Florida TaxWatch recommends the Legislature not approve any legislation that permits local governments divert the use of TDT-generated revenue from tourism marketing to support other activities.

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Taxpayer Independence Day 2026

Taxpayer Independence Day 2026

Friday, April 17 is Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2026 — the symbolic date when the average Florida household has earned enough to satisfy all federal, state, and local tax obligations for the year. In 2026, that takes 106 out of 365 days, or just over three and a half months. On a daily basis, Floridians' Taxpayer Independence Time falls at 11:19 a.m. each workday.

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