What is a "Smart City?" How can technology help St. Petersburg and other communities address challenges like transportation, water, safety, and education?The new Sunny Side Up Speaker Series, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and USF St. Petersburg Kate Tiedemann College of Business, tackled this and other questions. The event speaker Bill Wallace, Executive Director of US Ignite, shared guiding principles for smart cities and examples of what other cities are doing.To see Bill Wallace's presentation go to Bill Wallace - US Ignite - PowerPoint presentationTo read more about the event check out the articles by The Catalyst, Tampa Bay Business Journal and 83 Degrees.
Photo left to right: Jason Mathis, St. Pete Downtown Partnership; Sridhar Sundaram, USFSP KTCOB, Bill Wallace, US Ignite; Martin Tadlock, USFSP.
We are a little more than a month away from an exciting Morning Sparks where we will explore our role as one of the largest innovation districts globally! Expect to learn new information on how we plan to drive greater regional economic growth and competition, act as catalysts for economic opportunities in neighboring communities, and strategically position our district for growth in competitive and sustainable ways. This will be the first SPID event held at ARK Innovation Center, so mark your calendar for Friday, August 1st.
What's next for launching rockets into space? Launching rockets from the sea. With limited land availability and significant costs, companies like Seagate Space see a game-changing solution in developing offshore launchpads. There is also a sense of urgency as other countries have included offshore infrastructure as part of their space strategy. Seagate Space and The Spaceport Company are positioned to lead the way for Florida in this new frontier.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is more than just helicopters or planes; it’s the future of transportation. St. Petersburg is looking ahead into electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can perform tasks beyond the capabilities of traditional aviation. Think faster disaster relief response, private air taxis, and much more.