About Innovation Gainesville
Innovation Gainesville (iG) began as a community initiative to harness innovation to create jobs in health and green technologies. Since then, it has transformed into a cultural mindset with hundreds of individuals and organizations working to grow an environment that fosters innovation and success.
Gainesville is the place where people are changing the world by making cool things happen. Every day, people in Gainesville are creating products that make the world a better place. Gainesville was named the Top Tech City in Florida and is a National Hub for Green and Health technologies. We are home to one of the nation’s leading research universities, the University of Florida, as well as one of the nation’s premier healthcare systems. Our obsession with innovation is raising the standard of living, creating jobs in our community and changing the lives of people around the world.
Five Elements of Innovation
Live • Learn • Speak • Invest • Celebrate
Live – In Gainesville, innovation is not just a practice – it’s a way of life. Our region is home to some of the most innovative health, biotech and green companies in the world. The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce was recently granted 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, designating it within the top 1% of Chambers in the nation. We are constantly working to bring new innovators and entrepreneurs to Gainesville. We want people who are ready to change the world.
Learn – Home to one of the nation’s leading public research universities, the University of Florida, and one the Southeast’s premier healthcare systems, Shands HealthCare, Gainesville boasts some of the nation’s top academic institutions. More than 39% of Gainesville residents hold at least a bachelor’s degree, 15% higher than the national average. Gainesville is home to more technology incubators per capita than any other city in the U.S., which has allowed UF to become the #1 public institution for bringing research breakthroughs to the marketplace. Some of our nation’s finest minds are learning in Gainesville, preparing to change the world.
Speak – With events like the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce‘s DC Fly-In, Innovation Gainesville is ensuring that Gainesville receives national recognition. Innovation Gainesville has partnered with a media consultant to help us spread the word that Gainesville is open for business. Throughout the year, Chamber and community leaders will visit media hubs across the nation to get the word out. In May 2012, Gainesville was featured in US Airways magazine, seen by millions of air travelers.
Invest – Gainesville is a natural place for green and health technology companies. The Gainesville/Alachua County area contains more technology incubators per capita than any other city in the country. In January 2012, the Florida Innovation Hub opened, housing some of UF’s most exciting startup companies. We also launched iGAN – the Innovation Gainesville Angel Network. iGAN is a system designed to enhance collaboration and investment within the community, matching accredited local investors with local companies looking for funding or mentors.
Celebrate – Although we work very hard, we know it’s important to celebrate the success of our innovation economy. This year, the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Showcase featured an Innovation Room, highlighting some of the area’s innovative companies. This allowed our business community to learn the global impact of our area’s high-tech companies. Recently, the Cade Museum for Innovation and Invention awarded its third Cade Prize for Innovation, a $50,000 prize for an innovative Florida company.
