On Thursday, October 3, the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a Regional Leadership Forum that not only updated the community on the myregion.org project, but also united the presidents of the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. The fact that these two presidents came together proves that their universities share a common vision for the future of Florida.

Orlando Regional Chamber president Jacob Stuart and Chair Lonnie Bell kicked off the event, explaining the importance of these Regional Leadership Forums and the myregion.org project.

Attendees were provided with a detailed update on the myregion.org project that unveiled new insight into Central Florida’s complex economic and environmental system with a series of innovative maps.

“We see a latticework of urbanization woven between the protected environmental lands in this region,” project consultant Michael Gallis told the crowd.

“As one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in America, there’s a real danger that the only environmentally sensitive lands left may be those protected by the government.”

Of Central Florida’s future economic strategy, “The Kennedy Space Center is currently developing a 400-acre research park for bio-science and food research in space,” said Gallis. “This is cutting edge – a huge potential for the region.”

Attendees then used electronic voting devices as they moved throughout the room to examine Gallis’ elaborate mapping system and responded to a series of questions that addressed key themes identified for the region by the Consultant Team. Responses were immediately displayed to the audience.
Click here to view the results.

University presidents Dr. Charles Young, University of Florida, and Dr. John Hitt, University of Central Florida, then took the stage and teamed up to provide an insightful dialog on the current and future state of Florida’s University System.

The audience of more than 200 regional business, government and community leaders was struck by the remarkable synergy displayed by both men and the similarities in their visions for regional and economic development in Florida.

“We cannot succeed by simply stealing businesses from another region and bringing them to Central Florida,” said President Hitt. “We must create new businesses here in Central Florida. We must help them grow and add to their prosperity. With our resources in high technology, optics and photonics, we have the capacity to do that.”

President Young agreed, pointing to his school’s record of research and development in engineering, medicine and agriculture technology.

“We must invest in research that generates economic return to the state and the community,” Young said in response to his school’s impressive ranking in an MIT survey identifying colleges and universities with strong records of invention and patent development. “We must conduct research that may not necessarily create an immediate return, but research that will generate opportunities long into the future.”

The MIT survey ranked 84 top research universities by the number of patented inventions developed on campus. UF led Florida with a ranking of 20. UCF was second in Florida at 38. The University of South Florida, the University of Miami and Florida State University also made the prestigious list. Both university presidents underscored the significance of so many Florida institutions present in such an exclusive survey.

Click here to view the MIT survey.

Visit www.myregion.org to learn more about this innovative project.

Photos from this event coming soon. Keep checking www.orlando.org for details.