| “For our agritechnology company, there are a number of
benefits to doing business in the Metro Orlando region—a host of
similar businesses are clustered here; there is strong R&D
taking place; nearby universities offer valuable support; and the
climate and location are key. I would encourage any company to look
closely at Metro Orlando when selecting a future
location.” |
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—Mike Rink, owner, AG 3, Inc.
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Metro Orlando is emerging as a prime location for the rapidly
developing field of agritechnology, a segment of biotechnology that
focuses on genetic engineering, cloning and high tech horticulture
and agriculture. Key projects led by agritech companies based in
the area include:
- Cloning hard-to-grow plants
- Extracting plant oils for medicinal and botanical purposes
- Developing alternative irrigation processes to conserve
precious water and protect the environment
- Extracting liquid from vegetables for use in pharmaceuticals,
nutraceuticals, food colors, flavors, and cosmetics
The region’s strong agricultural base is converging with a
growing high-tech industry, forming an innovation intersection that
provides a range of benefits to agritech businesses, such as:
- Favorable climate conditions
- Extra crop growing season
- Native plants
- Rich soil
- Available land
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- Business incentives
- Research facilities
- High tech industry cluster
- Diverse, skilled workforce
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In turn, some of the world’s leading agritech companies are
headquartered in Lake County, located northwest of Orlando. With
long-standing roots in the agricultural industry, Lake County is
now evolving to become a hub for the state’s agritech sector. Local
agritech companies are collaborating with state and federal
agencies and educational institutions on various research and
development projects aimed at leveraging this emerging science to
increase energy efficiency in growing operations and protecting the
environment.
In Florida, the agricultural and natural resources industries,
which comprise agritech-related sectors, generate $35 billion in
net sales and employ more than 336,000 people. Metro Orlando is the
state’s largest region for this industry and is committed to
helping build the agritech sector locally.
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