Recently opened, the 109,000-square-foot BRIDG facility adds infrastructure and serves as an anchor and catalyst for the new ecosystem at NeoCity (500-acre technical park in Osceola County). With the cleanrooms near certification, interest is increasing and commitments for participation continue to strengthen.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is creating a need for an unprecedented range of products involving sensors. The technology in development today is on track to be in virtually every industry value chain that delivers a product or service to anyone, anywhere. The world stands at the brink of a paradigm shift with Smart Sensor technology at the core of a fundamental transformation affecting the way humans interact with almost everything. Universities and core research institutions often lack the means to expedite breakthrough discoveries and bold ideas into commercial scale manufacturing. Similarly, industry often does not know where to turn to find solutions to the challenges that are limiting their product development. BRIDG provides the physical process and collaborative infrastructure to connect challenges and opportunities with solutions – thus bridging the innovation development gap that makes transformation possible. 

By using unique emerging technology capabilities, processes, infrastructure and background intellectual property, partners benefit as BRIDG develops advanced lab/fab and universal technology platforms with the economy of scale and agility needed for cost effective technology development and manufacturing. As such, NeoCity is initially offering land grants to encourage companies to work in close proximity. For more information about opportunities to locate at NeoCity, please contact Clarence Thacker at [email protected].   

BRIDG established a unique partnership last year with members from academia, industry, and government to create the Institute for Sensor and Imager Materials and Manufacturing (ISIMM). ISIMM was formed to compete for federal funding through the Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for a proposed Manufacturing Innovation Institute, supported by Manufacturing USA (www.manufacturingusa.com). This important program aims to increase U.S. competitiveness, facilitate technology transition, and train the manufacturing workforce. 

ISIMM is currently a finalist for the NIST grant award, which would form the 15th Manufacturing Innovation Institute, the first in the state of Florida.  “The structure of ISIMM combined with the significance of the emerging technology is a perfect match to the mission of Manufacturing USA,” Dan Holladay said. “Only half a percent of all objects are currently connected. As that number grows, smart sensor technology will be at the heart of where the information and data gets collected, processed and actuated.”  ISIMM’s collaborative relationships and R&D agility will be a driver in innovative technology; improving sensor and imager products and/or processes and will develop the significant, untapped potential to make a significant impact to the American economy.

From aerospace to agriculture, and from healthcare to defense, every future market segment will depend on sensors and imagers. While under consideration for the Department of Commerce grant, ISIMM continues to grow and strengthen partnerships and initiatives.