Your business can benefit from the R&D and innovation happening across the region. Take advantage of high-end facilities, business relationships, commercialization opportunities, and the collaborative minds that call Northwest Florida home.
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Munitions Directorate at Eglin AFB is a global leader in advancing weapons science and technology. It conducts all R&D for all air-delivered munitions for the Air Force and is focused on the weapon’s capability to operate with complete autonomy and with high accuracy in all weather conditions, day or night, using long- or short-range delivery tactics.
Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) (Pensacola) pioneers technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities, such as robotics, exoskeletons, cybersecurity, augmentics and more. Research partners include DARPA, NSF, NASA, the military, and many private sector businesses, such as IBM, Boeing, Microsoft and Lockheed Martin.
Andrews Institute (Gulf Breeze) is a world-class institute for orthopedics and sports medicine focused on providing the best medical care for the musculoskeletal system, using the latest innovative clinical and surgical technologies, and to improve patient care through research and education. Elite athletes like Robert Griffin, Rob Gronkowksi and Lyndsey Vonn have all come to the Andrews Institute for care.
DefenseWerx is a facilitator, counselor, and connector that enables creative and integrated solutions for DoD customers, such as tech transfer, innovation/collaboration and workforce development.
McKinley Climatic Lab at Eglin AFB has several chambers, one of which is the largest environmental chamber in the world, that can simulate any climatic environment – extreme heat, cold, sand, dust, rain, sun, wind. DoD, other govt agencies, and private industry have utilized the facility for testing large aircraft, tanks, missile launchers, engines, auto and tire manufacturers and more.
Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City is one of the major research, development, test and evaluation laboratories in the U.S. Navy and boasts a wide base of expertise in engineering and scientific disciplines. In 2017, the command employed more than 1,400 civilian employees of which over 800 were scientists and engineers. It is a technical center of excellence for littoral warfare and coastal defense.
North Florida Research & Education Center - Marianna is a 1300 acre campus that focuses on agronomic and beef cattle research and education. It houses the Feed Efficiency program that is the largest of its kind researching subtropical cattle. The beef cattle research program deals with beef cattle production, genetics and breeding; and is the home of the Florida Bull Test facility.
Sea3D, part of the UWF Haas Center, serves as a hub for multidisciplinary research, invention and discovery in the high-demand field of additive manufacturing, providing a space for real-world problems to be transformed into creative solutions.
Doolittle Institute (DI), an Air Force Research Laboratory (ARFL) Institute, supports the AFRL Munitions Directorate (RW) by working to license and commercialize AFRL/RW technologies in the private sector through technology transfer, identifying and fostering new relationships through innovation and collaboration, and developing today’s students into tomorrow’s STEM workforce.
University of Florida Research & Engineering Education Facility (UF REEF) is located adjacent to Eglin AFB and supports the Eglin community and Air Force research needs. It also offers courses that lead to degrees in mechanical, aerospace, electrical and computer, industrial and systems engineering.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in nearby Tallahassee features the largest and highest-powered magnet lab in the world. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the state of Florida, each year more than 2,000 scientists come from across the globe to use our facilities at Florida State University probe fundamental questions about materials energy and life.
The Advanced Aero Propulsion Laboratory is a leading laboratory for the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, with a diverse and dynamic research program. It contains state-of-the-art testing and diagnostic facilities, not commonly available at university research centers. These include: a Hot Jet Anechoic Facility capable of operating supersonic hot jets - up to 2000 Fahrenheit, a STOVL Test Facility, an optical diagnostic development lab, a supersonic wind tunnel, and a large subsonic wind tunnel.
The High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) is a multidisciplinary research institute at Florida State University. HPMI strives to recruit, develop and retain top quality faculty and staff who will develop HPMI into a center of excellence for research and education in the field of advanced materials. Leading edge, revolutionary technology comes as the result of creativity, vision, talent, dedication and teamwork. Currently, HPMI is involved in four primary technology areas: High-Performance Composite and Nanomaterials, Structural Health Monitoring, Multifunctional Nanomaterials Advanced Manufacturing and Process Modeling.
Florida’s Great Northwest is here to enhance Northwest Florida’s competitive position through industry diversification and quality job growth. Whether you’re a company executive, site selector, or Northwest Floridian, contact us to learn how we can work together.
