Aerospace & Space Technology

• Amazon Reaches 102 Kuiper Satellites, Taps $140M Florida Hub for Sprint 
  Monday’s SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral put 24 more Kuiper spacecraft in orbit, bringing Amazon’s constellation to 102. The run-up relies on Amazon’s new $140 million satellite-integration center at Kennedy Space Center (≈130 engineers) and more than 80 booked launches to meet an FCC mandate: 1,618 satellites by July 2026. Starlink still leads with ~7,800 operating satellites and about 5 million users worldwide.
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• Linde’s Expanded Facility Boosts Florida Space Coast’s Role as Top U.S. Aerospace Hub Powering Rapid Commercial Space Growth 
  Industrial-gases giant Linde will add liquid-oxygen and nitrogen capacity in Mims to support a surge in commercial rocket launches starting 2027. The move deepens the Space Coast’s global launch supply chain already home to SpaceX and Blue Origin and reinforces the region’s Milken Institute Top-10 ranking for economic performance among all U.S. metros.
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• Blue Origin, KSC Honor 12 Teachers for Space Creativity Programs, Including Davenport Educator 
  Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future partnered with Crayola, Space4All, and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to recognize 12 educators nationwide who excel at using creativity to teach space-related topics, including Nicole Mercado from Navigator Academy of Leadership in Davenport. The “Creativity Launches the Future” winners toured KSC facilities and Blue Origin’s Rocket Park Manufacturing Facility, receiving $1,000 in educational supplies and resources to inspire STEAM careers. The initiative builds on Crayola Creativity Week, which reaches 820,000+ teachers and 13.2 million students globally, connecting Central Florida’s space industry leadership to nationwide education efforts that cultivate the next generation of aerospace talent through hands-on learning and creative problem-solving.  
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Modeling, Simulation & Training (MS&T)

• Orlando’s Red 6 lands USAF contract to load real-time AR dogfights into frontline F-16s
  Red 6, the Orlando flight-simulation firm behind the Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS), just secured an Air Combat Command contract to install ATARS in operational F-16 Fighting Falcons. The deal makes Red 6 the first company delivering live, in-cockpit synthetic air-combat training, letting pilots face maneuvering virtual adversaries while airborne. It builds on earlier integrations in T-38 and MC-130 aircraft and underscores Central Florida’s edge in next-generation military simulation.
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• Orlando’s 150-Company Simulation Hub Anchored by Lockheed Joins the Ranks of America’s Prime Defense Markets 
  Orlando Business Journal’s new list shows that the region’s 20 largest modeling, simulation and training employers, led by Lockheed Martin’s roughly 2,000-employee campus, sit at the center of a ~150-firm cluster generating an estimated $6+ billion in annual defense and commercial work. Central Florida Research Park hosts acquisition offices from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, and the city hosts I/ITSEC, widely regarded as the world’s largest MS&T conference. Those assets position Orlando alongside hubs such as Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal and Northern Virginia, with a growing private-sector workforce and a steady talent pipeline from UCF. 
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• National Center for Simulation Hosts Oct. 1 “Sim, Soar & Sip” at Full Sail: Showcasing How Orlando’s World-Leading Modeling & Training Expertise Is Advancing Drone Innovation 
  On Oct. 1, the National Center for Simulation will gather defense primes, drone startups, and academic researchers at Full Sail University for a B2B evening focused on unmanned-aircraft breakthroughs. By tying drone tech to Orlando’s $6-7 billion annual modeling-and-simulation ecosystem, the largest in the world. The event underscores why Central Florida remains the go-to proving ground for next-generation flight, training, and national-security solutions
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• UCF’s Lake Nona Nursing Pavilion Adds 150 Graduates a Year, Blends VR Simulation With Orlando’s Med-Tech Scene 
  UCF has opened the 90,000 sq ft Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion on its Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona’s Medical City. Built with $43 million in state funds and $29 million in private gifts, the facility lets the college graduate 150 additional nurses annually, a boost in a state facing a well-documented shortage. Two floors house the Helene Fuld STIM Center’s virtual-reality and simulation labs, aligning nurse training with the immersive-tech disciplines that drive Central Florida’s multibillion-dollar modeling-and-simulation sector. With 85% of Knight-nurse alumni remaining in Florida and nearly 60% staying in Central Florida, the pavilion immediately feeds talent to regional hospitals, life-science startups and digital-health ventures.
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Higher Education & Talent Pipeline

• UCF Recruits 39 Faculty: MIT, Stanford, Oxford, NASA Talent 
  UCF’s College of Engineering & Computer Science has landed 39 new faculty for fall 2025, its biggest one-semester haul ever, including hires from MIT, Stanford, Oxford, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Naval Research Lab and the National Renewable Energy Lab. Six slots feed the new Institute of Artificial Intelligence, while others bring deep credentials in hypersonics, semiconductors and digital-twin tech. Beyond sheer numbers, these pedigrees inject fresh federal-grant pipelines and industry know-how into Central Florida’s $6-7 billion modeling-and-simulation and space-tech economy , signaling quality growth that lifts the region’s competitiveness in next-gen aerospace, defense and advanced-computing markets. 
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• UCF Engineering Chair Tells 20 K-Member INCOSE: AI Risk & Fragile Supply Chains Are the Next “Grand Challenges” 
  Speaking to the Orlando chapter of INCOSE, the 20,000-member global body for systems engineers, UCF Pegasus Professor Waldemar Karwowski sketched urgent “grand challenges” such as AI-driven supply-chain risk, human-centered automation, and cross-disciplinary talent gaps. Framing the issues now driving federal tech policy and shareholder scrutiny, he urged industry, government, and academia to ensure emerging systems augment, not erode, human capability, reinforcing Central Florida’s growing influence in the national conversation on industrial and systems engineering.
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Defense & Drone Technology

• Orlando’s Unusual Machines Lands $1.6M Defense Drone Order, Boosting NDAA-Compliant Supply Chain 
  Unusual Machines (NYSE American: UMAC) secured a $1.6 million order from a domestic defense drone manufacturer for Fat Shark Aura cameras and HDO+ goggles, with deliveries running from September through December 2025. The Orlando-based company’s components are NDAA-compliant and included in the Blue UAS Framework, meeting Department of Defense standards as the military shifts away from Chinese suppliers. CEO Allan Evans said the order reflects growing demand for U.S.-made drone equipment, with the company planning to expand its local manufacturing footprint to support government contracts. The deal underscores Orlando’s emergence as a defense technology manufacturing hub amid federal efforts to onshore critical supply chains, as the global drone accessories market is projected to grow from $17.5 billion to $115 billion by 2032.
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• Embry-Riddle Team Wins IEEE Prize for 3D-Printed Exoskeleton 
  At the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, an Embry-Riddle student team advised by Dr. Shuzhen Luo took first place in the construction-robotics workshop with a 3D-printed wearable exoskeleton that adds ankle control for 10 degrees of freedom. Built from off-the-shelf parts, the modular design cuts costs versus earlier motorized hip- and knee-only models, opening a path to affordable strain-reducing gear for industrial workers. 
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Tech Company Growth & Recognition 

• Dozen Orlando-Area Tech Firms Make 2025 Inc. 5000; ThreatLocker Leads 
  Inc. Magazine’s 2025 list of America’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies includes about a dozen Central Florida technology and tech-enabled firms. Cybersecurity provider ThreatLocker ranks highest locally at No. 387 and plans to add 1,000 jobs this year. Repeat honorees underscore the sector’s range: cleantech marketing shop twentytwo & brand (298% three-year revenue growth), and SaaS billing platform Biller Genie (No. 482). Together, the cohort highlights Orlando’s accelerating momentum in cybersecurity, software, and tech-enabled services. 
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• Orlando’s Laser Photonics Posts 317% Growth, Targets $46B Industrial Cleaning Market 
  NASDAQ-listed Laser Photonics (LASE) reported Q2 2025 revenue surged 317% year-over-year to $2.6 million, driven by its acquisition of Control Micro Systems and new contracts with a Fortune 500 appliance maker and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The Orlando-based laser-cleaning company, targeting the $46 billion sandblasting market with “CleanTech” alternatives, also implemented $2 million in annualized cost cuts and completed its acquisition of Beamer Laser Marking Systems. The growth reflects Orlando’s rising profile in optics and photonics, anchored by UCF’s top-5-ranked CREOL program and the region’s aerospace heritage. Despite momentum, the company posted a $1.8 million quarterly loss and saw cash reserves drop to $79,000, highlighting the capital intensity of scaling laser-tech manufacturing.
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• Orlando’s Accesso Launches Payment Platform 3.0 for Global Attractions Industry 
  Accesso Technology Group (AIM: ACSO), the Orlando-based provider of entertainment venue technology, released accessoPay 3.0, a redesigned digital payment platform serving over 1,200 venues worldwide including theme parks, cultural attractions, and ski resorts. The update adds expanded digital wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal/Venmo), advanced tokenization through Visa’s infrastructure, and integrated fraud protection via Accertify’s real-time threat detection. Senior Director Michael Wiggins said the platform aims to “maximize conversion while meeting modern security and usability standards” with features like embedded ticket insurance and flexible payment options. The release underscores Orlando’s role as a global hub for attractions technology, with Accesso leveraging the region’s deep entertainment industry expertise to build enterprise solutions that power digital commerce for leisure operators from theme parks to cultural venues across multiple continents.
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• EA SPORTS Orlando Studio Ships Madden NFL 26 With AI-Powered Player DNA System 
  EA SPORTS’ Orlando development team launched Madden NFL 26 featuring breakthrough AI systems that analyze thousands of real NFL plays to create quarterback-specific behaviors and adaptive coaching strategies. The new QB DNA and Coach DNA features use machine learning to replicate individual player movements, throwing motions, and coaching philosophies, marking a significant technical leap for the franchise developed at EA’s Central Florida studio alongside Madrid operations. The game debuts on Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time while introducing dynamic weather systems, physics-based gameplay, and authentic stadium experiences across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Amazon Luna cloud gaming. The Orlando-developed title showcases how Central Florida’s gaming industry continues advancing AI applications in entertainment software, with EA leveraging nearly a decade of NFL data to power real-time strategic adaptation and player-specific behavioral modeling that delivers unprecedented sports simulation authenticity.
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• Siemens Energy Signs Lake Nona’s Largest Lease in 15 Years, Shifts 3,000 Orlando Jobs to New 2027 Campus 
  Siemens Energy will move its 3,000-employee Orlando operation from its 40-year Alafaya Trail campus to a 242,358 sq ft build-to-suit at 6876 Marwick Lane in Lake Nona Town Center, with occupancy slated for 2027. CoStar calls it Orlando’s biggest office lease since 2009. City, Tavistock, OEP, and OUC officials say the relocation deepens Siemens Energy’s long-running R&D and workforce partnership with UCF and cements Lake Nona’s status as the region’s emerging innovation hub.
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Optics & Advanced Manufacturing

• Optokon Picks UCF Lake County Incubator for U.S. Return, Expanding Orlando’s Optics Cluster 
  Czech fiber-optic manufacturer Optokon has teamed with Boca Raton-based Gardant Global to form Optokon North America and will start operations inside UCF’s Lake County Business Incubator in downtown Eustis. The venture targets military and FAA contracts and is scouting a larger local production site. Its arrival deepens Central Florida’s optics ecosystem, anchored by UCF’s CREOL program, ranked in the U.S. News top 25 globally for optics/photonics research and credited with 250-plus patents and 23 spin-offs.
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Entertainment Technology & Global Export

• Orlando’s Falcon’s Creative Lands Saudi Arabia Contract for Riyadh’s Mukaab Project 
  Falcon’s Creative Group has signed a strategic agreement with New Murabba to develop immersive attractions for The Mukaab, the centerpiece of a major urban development in Riyadh tied to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative. CEO Cecil D. Magpuri said the Orlando-based firm will create “an infinite storytelling ecosystem” using AI-powered technology and multi-sensory environments for the project, which has completed excavation of 14 million cubic meters of earth. The deal builds on Falcon’s previous work including Kennedy Space Center’s Heroes and Legends exhibit and Atlantis Sanya, demonstrating how Orlando’s entertainment design expertise, rooted in the region’s theme park heritage, continues winning major international contracts in emerging markets.
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• PopStroke Winter Garden: How a UCF Alum Built AI-Powered Mini-Golf With 12-Person Tech Team 
  PopStroke’s new 62,000-sq-ft Winter Garden location showcases how traditional entertainment is being reimagined through sophisticated technology, led by CTO Gavin Hall, a UCF alum and Orlando native who previously worked at Instagram and TED. Hall’s 12-person in-house development team built PopStroke’s entire tech stack from scratch, using AI models to track golf balls from 60+ feet away, deliver food to specific holes, and maintain real-time leaderboards, all designed to be invisible to users. The venue represents a growing trend of hospitality companies becoming tech-first operations, with constant code pushes throughout the day and custom solutions for outdoor challenges like Florida weather and sun angles. “Our founder sees this as a tech company that happens to do mini golf,” Hall said, highlighting how Orlando’s innovation ecosystem increasingly spans unexpected industries where gamification, AI, and seamless user experience drive competitive advantage in traditional retail and entertainment sectors.
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• MCO Turns TSA Queue Into 3-D Showpiece, Partnering with Synect’s Orlando Studio 
  Orlando International Airport has deployed a real-time, 3-D “Annie the Astronaut” experience on twin LED walls at its West Checkpoint, created by downtown-based content firm Synect. The animation, built from more than 7,200 rendered frames and tied to live TSA wait-time and concessions feeds, uses playful way-finding to cut perceived waits and steer traffic inside Florida’s busiest airport. The project extends Passenger360, the Synect platform that already drives 2,100 digital displays across MCO, reinforcing Central Florida’s reputation for exporting modeling-and-simulation talent beyond defense and theme parks into everyday travel tech. 
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Infrastructure & Connectivity

• Wire 3’s $100 M Fiber Push to Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares 
  Florida ISP Wire 3 has begun a privately funded, $100 million build that will deliver symmetrical 10 Gbps fiber to Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora,home to animation studio Steamroller Studios, and Tavares. The company’s first move into Lake County adds a fourth facilities-based competitor to a market already served by AT&T, Comcast Xfinity, and Quantum, giving bandwidth-hungry firms and residents a high-speed alternative. Roll-out will proceed in phases, with free customer hardware and no-contract plans promised at launch. 
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• Orlando’s i-Tech Lands Multi-Year IT Contract with City SC, Pride Soccer Teams 
  i-Tech, a Central Florida managed IT services provider with over two decades of local experience, secured a multi-year partnership to serve as the official IT partner for both Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride. The company will provide 24/7 network monitoring, cybersecurity services, and on-site technical support during gamedays at Inter&Co Stadium, with immediate implementation for the remainder of the 2025 MLS and NWSL seasons. CEO Armando Huerta emphasized that “professional sports run on split-second decisions, data, and connectivity, there’s no room for downtime,” while Orlando City CFO Carlos Osorio cited i-Tech’s “deep understanding of the demands of live events and enterprise operations.” The deal showcases how Orlando’s tech services sector is expanding beyond traditional business clients to support the region’s growing sports and entertainment infrastructure, with local companies winning contracts that require real-time reliability and cybersecurity expertise for high-stakes live events.
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Government & Economic Development

• Duke Energy Awards $255,000 to 20 Florida Organizations, Including Orlando Economic Partnership, to Boost Business Attraction, Workforce Talent, and Tech Competitiveness 
  Part of nearly $2 million Duke Energy and its Foundation have invested since 2020, the new grants fund county-level programs that streamline site selection, bolster critical infrastructure, and market high-demand career paths. Orlando Economic Partnership will apply its share to align talent pipelines with the region’s fast-growing tech and innovation sectors.
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• Orlando’s 150th: Flying Cars Prep Meets 9,400-Unit Housing Push 
  Mayor Buddy Dyer’s sesquicentennial address positioned Orlando as a future-mobility pioneer preparing infrastructure for “advanced air mobility,” flying cars and taxis, while addressing rapid growth that created a 9,400-unit housing shortage between 2020-2024. The “Orlando Unlocked” initiative promises density-friendly zoning and mixed-use developments, building on $75 million in housing investments that delivered 3,000+ units since 2014. Dyer also announced the city will hit 100% clean energy for municipal operations by 2027, three years early, and expand regional rail connectivity through partnerships with Universal and Brightline. The address highlighted how Orlando leverages bold tech bets and smart policy to manage explosive population growth while building infrastructure that attracts innovation companies and tech talent.
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Industry Context

• Florida’s “Green Industry” Hits $42B Economic Impact as Landscaping Jobs Surge 43% 
  Florida’s landscaping, lawn care, and nursery sectors generated a $42 billion economic impact in 2023 while supporting 279,000 jobs statewide, according to a new report from Farm Credit of Central Florida and the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association. The “green industry” economic impact surged 48% between 2020-2023, driven largely by the state’s population growth of 1.83 million residents during that period, which created demand for new housing and commercial landscaping services. The landscape services sector alone added an estimated 30,000 jobs since 2011, representing 43% growth that reflects Florida’s transformation into a major destination for both residents and businesses. The boom underscores how population-driven economic sectors continue expanding alongside Florida’s tech and innovation industries, with Orlando’s rapid growth contributing significantly to statewide demand for property maintenance and landscaping services that support local business ecosystems. 
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• Orlandopreneur’s meetup heads to Oviedo for beers, rock icons 
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