The University of South Florida has a new state-of-the-art research center that will deepen the connection between university innovation and the business community. IT will also help advance the Tampa Bay region’s growing startup ecosystem. Located at the USF Research Park on the Tampa campus, the three-story, 120,000-square-foot mixed-use building features advanced laboratory facilities, as well as office and meeting spaces for new and established companies.
The $42 million project will allow the university to expand its Research Park, providing much-needed space. It’s currently home to over 65 companies and dozens of additional student-led startups and has been consistently at full capacity in recent years. The new building increases the park’s space by 34 percent.
Related: USF to Create Career Center for Business Students
USF innovation facility to connect students and economy
This expansion comes at a helpful time for the Tampa Bay area. Investors, entrepreneurs, along with science and technology firms from across the country are being drawn to the area.
“The USF Research Park has long been a thriving community bridging research and innovation for our faculty, students and partners,” said Sylvia Wilson Thomas, interim vice president for research & innovation. “Bold, ambitious new technologies have always found a home here. This incredible new building is going to be a catalyst for our inventors and partners, helping them flourish in a modern marketplace and contribute to an innovation ecosystem to change the world.”
