Florida Budget Requests $60M for TBED Initiatives

The 2005 budget request submitted this week by Florida Governor Jeb Bush includes $20 million to establish two more Centers of Excellence at Florida universities. The new centers would join the three selected last year through a competitive process [see the May 16, 2003 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest.] Each center receives $10 million from the state and is designed to foster innovative, cutting-edge technology research at Florida’s colleges and universities, develop commercially viable applications for that research, and recruit high-tech industries and thinkers to the state. The initial legislation enabling the state's investment in the centers permitted creation of up to five.

To help strengthen the academic research infrastructure, Gov. Bush also recommended the state commit $25 million to match private donations to state universities.

To encourage the growth of alternative energy technologies, the governor's budget also includes $15 million in seed capital to share the cost of installation and demonstration of hydrogen fuel cells by Florida companies. Press materials accompanying the budget request says the funds are intended to make Florida ready for next generation energy technology and will help defray the costs of creating mobile hydrogen fuel cells and fueling stations.

More information on the 2005 Florida budget request is available at: http://sun6.dms.state.fl.us/eog_new/eog/library/releases/2004/January/budget-1-20-04.html