FEDC Inside Track for Legislative Affairs: Space Florida Update

Governor Charlie Crist issued the following informational update this week regarding Space Florida.

Subsequent to the Governor’s press release is information about the upcoming Space Investment Summit on May 28, 2008.

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact:

Frank Mayernick at (850) 251-8898
Tracy Mayernick at (850) 445-3000
at Colodny Fass

 

Governor Crist Announces Space Florida’s Efforts to Capture State’s Aerospace Economy
 
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp on April 1, 2008 announced Space Florida’s efforts to attract commercial space companies to Florida.  Companies include Bigelow Aerospace, XCOR, Rocketplane Corporation, as well as one of the competing teams for the Google Lunar X Prize, which previously had not considered launching from Florida. In addition, Space Florida is also negotiating with Orbital Sciences Corporation to win their business for Florida. 
 
In total, Space Florida is aggressively pursuing more than 50 different space-related firms for the commercial Florida’s space market.  Space Florida is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities within Florida’s aerospace industry in time to address aerospace workforce issues by 2010 when the NASA space shuttle program retires. 

“The involvement of entrepreneurs and private corporations in the United States’ launches is creating new economic opportunities for our state’s aerospace industry,” Governor Crist said.  “This rapid shift is opening doors for new companies and technologies that are blurring the previous separations between aviation and spaceflight – and between civil, military and commercial industries.”
 
The space and aerospace economy of the future includes more than the space shuttles and rockets of the traditional space sector.  It will include emerging services and products that meet the needs of the next generation of aerospace companies. Florida, through Space Florida’s efforts, is actively fostering the growth and development of the aerospace industry and working aggressively to diversify the aerospace economy throughout Florida.  Space Florida is the state’s public-private partnership for space-related economic growth.
 
“The path forward involves vigilance in Space Florida’s three key areas of focus:  Spaceport Operations; Business Development; and Education, Research and Development, and Workforce,” said Governor Crist. “It is through these three key areas that Florida will develop the next generation of the aerospace economy, ensuring it benefits for generations to come.
 
“Florida is focused on the vision of a profitable civil, military, and commercial aerospace industry that contributes to scientific research, national defense, satellite communications, research and development, and vital support for the International Space Station,” added Lt. Governor Kottkamp. “With a number of economic incentives and customer services, Florida is able to provide tailored assistance based on the needs of the company.”
 
For more information, please visit www.SpaceFlorida.gov. 

 

4th Space Investment Summit to Provide Networking Forum for Investors & Entrepreneurs Leading Space-Related Investment Conference to be Presented by Space Florida
 
As part of Space Investment Summit 4 (SIS-4), entrepreneurs and investors will meet on May 28, 2008 at the Capital Hilton Hotel to engage in a frank dialogue about the best investment opportunities in new space-related ventures. The summit comes at an exciting time for space-related business, with space startups like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s SpaceX nearing commercial operations, while space-related ventures like Google Earth and Garmin expand to reach global markets.

“A massive shift is underway in the aerospace industry,” stated Steve Kohler, President, Space Florida, “and it is clear that the future we are envisioning is possible, and it will arrive more rapidly than we expect.”

Promoting innovation in space-related commerce worldwide, SIS-4 has much to offer leading seed and early stage investors, space-related entrepreneurs, established companies, government, academia, and non-profit organizations. The event provides a unique opportunity to expand networks, join peer-to-peer discussions, and assess pre-screened entrepreneurial business plans from companies with high growth potential.

Sponsored by Space Florida and a group of leading space-related companies, the summit is organized by the Space Investment Summit Coalition and hosted by the National Space Society (NSS). The event will be held immediately prior to the International Space Development Conference, the annual conference of NSS. Space News will act as the exclusive media sponsor of the Space Investment Summit and the 2008 International Space Development Conference. This conference is a global nexus of the most important developments in space and attended by leading space-related entrepreneurs, government managers and thought-leaders.

“The summit has been designed to help educate the investment community about opportunities in space-related commerce and to assist the space-related entrepreneurial community in better understanding the expectations of investors,” said Paul Eckert, summit coordinator and Boeing international and commercial strategist. Each summit is held in a location that provides access to important investor communities, such as Silicon Valley and Wall Street, and the Washington DC location provides particularly easy access to investors along the East Coast. Eckert added the action packed one-day event will make excellent use of investors’ and entrepreneurs’ time, providing outstanding networking opportunities.

The summit series is designed to help investors gain knowledge that might guide future investment decisions. Entrepreneurs will gain from an increased investor interest in their efforts, but established companies may also benefit by promoting the development of new opportunities to partner with, invest in, be suppliers to, or do studies for entrepreneurial companies.

A fifth space-related investment summit is already being planned to take place in Los Angeles, California on October 15, 2008. Those interested in the May 28 summit will no doubt also want to mark their calendars for the fall event.

For more information on the summit, including how to register or exhibit, please visit: http://spaceinvestmentsummit.com.

Companies interested in presenting their business plans at the Summit should send an email message with company name and contact information to info@spaceinvestmentsummit.com