St. Petersburg decided not long ago that it wants to launch an “innovation district” — a compact, walkable piece of downtown that houses a cluster of health care, higher education, marine research and other high-powered assets.
Among those key assets hoping to collaborate are USF St. Pete, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Bayfront Health, USF College of Marine Science, SRI, U.S. Geological Survey, the Poynter Institute and other research organizations.
Mission One: Get all these brains cooking up new solutions to problems, creating products that can be commercialized and, it is hoped, generating new and good-paying jobs.
Mission Two: Brand this new “St. Petersburg Innovation District” and start marketing the heck out of it to attract talent.