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The Palm Beach Post
By Thomas Baptiste
June 3, 2014
If you could spend $8 to protect and grow an investment that generates $5,000 a year, you’d probably jump at the chance. That’s the kind of sound investment our Florida Legislature made in its most recent session, appropriating $8 million to begin planning for expansion of a complex critical to protecting and growing an industry that contributes $5 billion annually to the Florida economy.
That industry — modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) — has become an integral part of our economy largely because of the partnerships that have grown at the Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to the University of Central Florida in Orlando where military commands are surrounded by industry partners working on the latest technologies. As the Florida TaxWatch Center for Competitive Florida has stated, the industry gives “innovative Florida companies opportunities to help save the government and private sectors substantial amounts of money [which] will further develop and strengthen Florida’s economy [and] increase Florida’s competitiveness in the world’s economy …”
Today, more than 1,000 public and private organizations in Florida employ 27,000 people in MS&T, not only in and around the Research Park but also throughout the state. And with an average salary of $70,000, this is high-value employment. But as we all know, nothing is guaranteed, certainly not in an industry that is still largely dependent on the U.S. Department of Defense in an era of military cost-cutting. That’s why the legislature’s decision was so important. Rather than wait for budget cuts to impact an industry that has grown here over the past 50 years, Florida is moving proactively.
The Pentagon needs to cut costs, and expansion of the Research Park helps to achieve that end. First, through providing real estate that can help military commands lower their leasing costs, and second, by growing the atmosphere of collaboration that has already proven to provide tremendous cost savings through cooperative purchasing. Better yet, our military personnel would continue to reap the benefits of this collaboration that provides more effective training, and our economy would benefit from the growth of high-tech, high-wage businesses.
This is the only location in the country outside of the Pentagon where all military services come together in partnership on one support area. That collocation of commands results in cooperation that saves money for the Pentagon and drives innovation that fuels private industry. Indeed, the same technology developed to provide realistic training for our warfighters is now being used by private industry in everything from health care training to high-end gaming.
Our Legislature — particularly House Speaker-designate Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Senate President-elect Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, as well as Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart and Gov. Rick Scott deserve our thanks for investing in Florida’s future.
Lt. Gen. Thomas Baptiste, U.S. Air Force (ret.), is President and CEO of the National Center for Simulation
