CYBERSECURITY AND SECURE SYSTEMS: BACKBONE PROTECTION 

Orlando safeguards 74,000 cybersecurity jobs across 270 contracts. BSides 2025 at Full Sail strengthened defense simulation networks while adding 3,700 jobs. DefinIT’s solutions protect AI and lidar systems, avoiding breaches costing millions. 

• 2025 BSides Orlando Cybersecurity Conference Held at Full Sail
  
  
• Cybersecurity Scares: DefinIT Warns Central Florida Businesses Not to Let Hackers Haunt Their Networks This Halloween

AEROSPACE, SPACE, AND DEFENSE TECH: REGIONAL TO NATIONAL SCALE 
Blast off with UCF’s R1 rocket research and regional aerospace cluster generating approximately $29.5 billion in economic impact and supporting about 136,000 workers in Central Florida. The Space Coast has seen around 89 launches so far in 2025, marking one of the busiest spaceport regions nationally. The U.S. Space Force is leveraging gaming and simulation technology with military and regional partners to improve training efficiency by approximately 40%.  

Kratos Defense has secured over $68 million in SBIR contracts for hypersonic systems development but that will be in Indiana not Orlando. SpaceX continues frequent missions from the Space Coast, contributing significantly to the region’s aerospace economy. UCF’s active research in aerospace medicine, including NASA collaborations, is advancing space health technologies. Aura Aero has established its U.S. headquarters in Daytona Beach, supported by the local aerospace research ecosystem. Collectively, these efforts contribute substantially to national aerospace exports and job creation linked to UCF-led partnerships. 

• How the Relocation of Space Force Command to Florida Strengthens Digital Training
  
  
• Kratos Wins US Contract for Hypersonic Materials Test Facility
  
  
• SpaceX launches Space Coast’s 89th mission of the year
  
  
• UCF Space Medicine Initiatives Are Taking Off
  
  
• French airplane maker Aura Aero opens US HQ at Embry-Riddle Research Park in Daytona Beach
  
  
• Exploring Lunar Landscapes: Associate Professor of Physics Keri Donaldson Hanna’s research will use imaging technology to investigate how mysterious volcanic features formed on the celestial body.

AUTONOMOUS AND MOBILITY TECH: SMART SCALING 

Orlando is fast becoming a hub for autonomous and mobility innovation. UCF’s lidar technology is helping self-driving vehicles navigate safely, powering new pilot programs that are creating jobs across the region. The Florida Automated Vehicles Summit is bringing together policymakers, startups, and industry leaders to set the course for this emerging field November 5-7. Meanwhile, companies like Luminar are integrating AI into air taxis, and CraneRIDES is expanding its autonomous shuttle services in suburban communities. With nearly $400 million flowing into clean mobility technologies and thousands of new green jobs on the horizon, Orlando is transforming from a city of theme parks into a leader in smart, sustainable transportation solutions. 

• Florida Automated Vehicles Summit Debuts in Orlando
  
  
• Orlando Airport’s Autonomous Mobility Tech Includes Air Taxis and Biometrics 
  
  
• CraneRIDES plans to expand services in Altamonte Springs as city continues to test autonomous technology

HEALTH TECH AND DETECTION INNOVATIONS: PRECISION IMPACT 
The University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine is leading advances in aerospace medicine to support long-duration human space missions. With funding exceeding $67 million from NASA and other foundations, UCF researches how microgravity, radiation, and isolation affect astronaut health. These studies also inform improvements in diagnostics and treatments for conditions on Earth. 

Recent appointments of experts with NASA and Axiom Space experience reinforce UCF’s leadership in this field. The new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine integrates medicine, engineering, computer science, and psychology to develop technologies benefiting astronauts, military personnel, and others exposed to extreme environments. 

Alongside university research, Orlando Health pilots wearable devices for chronic disease management, applying innovations developed with aerospace medicine concepts. 

• New drug detection technology unveiled to help Florida drug crisis
  
  
• SVIN 2025 heads to Orlando with late-breaking data, innovation, and hands-on skills

INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDUCATION ENABLERS 
Rollins College is transforming downtown Winter Park with its $50 million Innovation Triangle project. This ambitious development brings together a brand-new Rollins Museum of Art, a state-of-the-art Institute for Management and Executive Leadership, and the recently expanded Alfond Inn. Together, these facilities will create a vibrant hub for creativity, leadership education, and community engagement. The new museum alone will offer about 31,000 square feet of gallery and educational space, more than doubling its current footprint and providing room for major exhibitions and innovative programs. This intersection of arts and business education aims to inspire future leaders while strengthening the cultural fabric of Central Florida.​ 

In healthcare, Orlando Health continues to innovate by deploying AI-powered wearable technologies that monitor patient health in real time. These cutting-edge tools support chronic condition management and enhance clinical decision-making, improving outcomes across area hospitals and clinics.​ 

UCF, partnering with BNY Mellon, mentors a growing cadre of fintech professionals, graduating thousands each year who contribute to Orlando’s dynamic financial technology sector. Millennials and Gen Z now make up 58% of Orlando’s tech workforce, supporting a regional economic impact valued at approximately $29.5 billion. These public-private collaborations weave a strong talent pipeline, critical to sustaining the region’s 80,000 tech jobs and overall prosperity.​ 

• A new $29 million, 31,000-square-foot Rollins Museum of Art and a $21 million, 35,000-square-foot Institute for Management & Executive Leadership will join with the completed Alfond Inn expansion to form the Innovation Triangle
  
  
• Orlando Health Launches Wearable Technology Pilot Program To Support Improved Chronic Condition Management
  
  
• UCF and BNY Mellon launch multi-million-dollar partnership, boosting student opportunities in finance and tech 
  

LOOKING AHEAD AND STAYING CONNECTED 

Next week kicks off a busy season for Orlando’s tech community with UCF Space Week featuring The Economist, Startup Weekend Orlando, DevFest, and Rally’s Fall Showcase among the highlights. Coming soon are events like Sally’s Night, celebrating women leaders in space; BOT and Plug and Play’s Future of Cities collaboration; the Florida Deep Tech Venture Summit; and major industry gatherings IAAPA and I/ITSEC. 

Orlando’s innovation ecosystem thrives on shared stories where research sparks new ideas, founders pursue bold ventures, and enterprises reshape industries. 

Please share this newsletter with founders, investors, and engineers you know to help deepen connections in our regional innovation economy.  

Happy Halloween, 

— Sheena 
CEO, Innovate Orlando