A 240-Acre Research Park Devoted to Environmental Sustainability, Renewable Energy

You know things are changing when a university looks to environmental sustainability as their route to greater economic development! 

Florida Gulf Coast University is building a 240-acre research park that focuses on environmental sustainability and renewable energy, a project they hope will rival North Carolina’s Research Triangle.

"The aim is to create the world’s next great university research park. The Innovation Hub (iHUB) is the perfect point of entry for new companies who see the growth potential of renewable energy, and a great option for established companies interested in the advantages of relocating to a region poised for growth," says Rich Galvano, Principal of Galvano Development, which is building the park.

The first building at the 1.2-million-square-feet research and development park has broken ground – the Emergent Technologies Institute. It will have indoor and outdoor labs and pilot-testing facilities for research on renewable energy technologies, green building design, and environmental practices on farms.

The initial focus is on technologies that impact the use of solar and other renewable sources in southwest Florida; structures that combine renewable energy with electric transportation; energy storage; solar desalination of brackish water; anaerobic digestion of food waste on farms; and shade tolerant plants that can grow under solar panels.

Technologies will be tested in the lab and outdoors – "a living laboratory for public and private renewable energy research," says Robert Thomas, the LEED-certified Architect who serves as Project Manager for Leo A Daly, which is building the project. 
"The Emergent Technologies Institute is the cornerstone of an economic development effort that will bring jobs and economic diversification to Southwest Florida," says Wilson Bradshaw, President of Florida Gulf Coast University. It will expand the local economy beyond tourism and construction, expecting the focus on research to generate $700 million in the next 10 years.