From the creation of simulated trauma patients used to train military medics, to virtual 3D people used to diagnose and treat patients, the place to be for some of the latest gaming and digital media technology for health and medical applications is Orlando, Florida.

Orlando is one of the top 12 clusters in the country for digital media, as well as one of only two cities in the world with a large-scale 'medical city' complex underway. The digital media and medical sectors are converging, bringing new innovations to life. Numerous people and organizations are leading the way.

360Ed has teamed up with the Florida Department of Health and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop Burn Center, an interactive, 3D, game-based technology used to train medical professionals at trauma centers, hospitals and universities across the country. The purpose of the program is to improve the triage and care of critically injured victims of burn, bomb and blast disasters.

Virtual Reality Medical Center - Orlando (VRMC) develops and uses computer-generated simulations and other special effects to treat clients with panic disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia and social phobia. VRMC has partnered with the University of Central Florida to create a virtual game (featuring flying, smash-able insects) to aid stroke survivors in expanding their range of movement.

To become better doctors, the new University of Central Florida College of Medicine will engage its first class of medical school students in playing games. A web-based avatar program developed by UCF Assistant Professor David Segal will help students learn how to properly evaluate and diagnose a variety of patient ailments. The digital patients can respond to questions, sneeze, cough, age and even call students in the middle of the night with an illness.

Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS) developed a virtual world called Nexus to help first responders train and collaborate during natural disasters. The company also has a contract with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to train military medical professionals.

GeoMotion Group is dedicated to being an innovative fitness leader. Its goal is to meet the training needs of individuals and groups, for all fitness levels and for any age. Two innovative products, the GeoMat and the GeoFloat were created to meet this goal. Used in elementary, middle and high schools, the GeoMat is used to teach locomotor moves, number recognition, number sequencing and math problem solving using a variety of activities and aids. The GeoFloat is used for exercising in water and works the core and stabilization muscles more effectively than other existing products.

Emergency Medicine Learning & Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing emergency medicine, disaster management, prehospital emergency care and public health by providing annual continuing medical education and research activities. Its 45-foot Mobile Simulation Lab (motor coach) trains emergency providers around the state. The Lab utilizes simulation technologies to train real lifesavers on everything from ER care, to pandemic flu, nerve agents, blast injuries and more.

The Orlando Magic's run to the NBA Finals has generated a palpable sense of pride in our team and our community. And, while the eyes of the world's basketball faithful are upon us, it also presents a unique opportunity to spotlight what makes this a champion place to live, work, play and build a business. Here's how you can help.

Tell us why ORLANDO WORKS for you in your own 140 characters on Twitter. Is it the quality of life, sense of community, diverse business climate or all of the above? Spread the word while you are glued to the NBA series - from your living room, neighborhood sports pub or from the rocking Amway Arena. Make sure you use #orlandoworks along with #magic or #beatla in your tweets during the upcoming Magic vs. Lakers games. And be sure to follow us @OrlandoWorks. Our goal is to see Orlando as a "trending topic" on Twitter in the days ahead.

We also want you to tell us how ORLANDO WORKS in video. Upload your video to YouTube, click "send message" and send us a link with your video in it. If we like it, we'll add it to our favorites! Our first YouTube star is none other than "the fat guy" - Orlando Magic fan Dennis Salvagio.

Got great photos that reflect the dynamic nature of our region? Shots that show the rest of the world all that metro Orlando has to offer? Post those pictures to our ORLANDO WORKS group on Flickr.

You can also join in the conversation via the Metro Orlando EDC fan page on Facebook. If you are not a fan yet, click here to join us.

Our hometown team has provided an unprecedented opportunity to tell the world about this region, which is as magic for business as it is for basketball. Thanks for your help in spreading the word!

Looking for facts and rankings on Orlando and aren't sure where to find them? Check out Orlando Rocks - the Metro Orlando EDC's newest compilation of reasons why Orlando rocks...for innovation and entrepreneurs, for global business connections, for technology companies, for education and access, for business growth and as a place to call home.

The Metro Orlando EDC's bioOrlando initiative recently unveiled a new "Medical Marker" program designed to celebrate and visually recognize the medical, research and biotech companies that are the cornerstone of Metro Orlando's burgeoning life science industry.



"Medical Markers" will be presented to life science and biotechnology organizations identified by bioOrlando as leaders in scientific research and medical technology, as well as companies who have contributed substantially to the evolution of this industry in Central Florida. Twelve members of the inaugural class of Medical Marker designees will be announced on June 25th at the EDC's Annual Economic Outlook event, which will be held at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Orlando.



To commemorate establishment of this celebratory new program, the first marker designation was given to Florida Hospital Orlando, which this year celebrates its 100-year anniversary in Metro Orlando. Florida Hospital's seven campuses give it a footprint throughout the region, and its Celebration Health Campus was also recognized with a marker. Celebration Health is the site of both the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement and Global Robotics Institute.



In addition to a certificate noting Medical Marker designation, a physical "marker" will be developed as a recognizable sign of this honor. To assist in development of this physical symbol - visualized as a form of public art that identifies the organization as part of the "medical destination" in Metro Orlando - the EDC is working with United Arts of Central Florida to invite artists to submit design concepts for the "Medical Marker". Click here to view competition details.



In a time when things to celebrate seem in too short supply, bioOrlando's new "Medical Marker" program will help to point out the bright spots in Metro Orlando's increasingly diverse economy.

With warm weather and consistent sunshine, Florida is an ideal location for solar research and application. And with growing awareness of clean technology, Orlando is poised to become a leading force in the solar industry.

The existence of a strong technology cluster and proximity to the University of Central Florida (UCF) - one of the nation's top research universities - help set Orlando apart. In addition to research being conducted by UCF's Florida Solar Energy Center, local companies are working to leave their mark on the industry as well. Lake Mary based Advanced Solar Photonics is poised to become Florida's first photovoltaic solar manufacturer by producing thin-film solar panels. In nearby Longwood, SKYShades is merging shade structures and solar power by harnessing thin-film solar technology atop sidewalk umbrellas dubbed "Powerbrellas" in order to power small electronics.

For more information on the growing clean tech industry in Metro Orlando, click here.

Watch below as Executive Vice President of SKYShades, Joe McKenna, provides more info on the "Powerbrella."

A newly released report by the University of West Florida's Haas Center for Business Research & Economic Development predicts that 190,000 new and related jobs in the biomedical and defense industries will be created in Florida by 2018. Access MediQuip's recent decision to expand its operations in Lake Mary takes Orlando one step closer to that goal.



Access MediQuip LLC, a $200 million health care firm based in Houston, provides medical implant outsourcing to support surgery centers. The company's specialized and technology-driven services assist manufacturers, payors and providers to manage the acquisition, financing delivery and reimbursement of orthopedic and spinal implants, drug pumps and other medical devices.



Last month, Access moved its 18 Central Florida employees into just under 13,000 sq. ft. in Primera in Lake Mary. That is just the first step. Plans are to grow to a 26,000 sq. ft facility and add 145 new jobs within three years. That translates into over $2.5 million in new capital investment and jobs that pay an average of $60,000 annually.



Other signs of success in Metro Orlando's emerging medical industries include:

• The University of Central Florida's College of Medicine was featured on NBC Nightly News. Click here to watch.

• Orlando was ranked as a top medical meetings destination by the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association's 2009 State of the Industry Report. Orlando has been the top healthcare meeting location for the last 12 years.

• AARP The Magazine, the voice for Americans age 50 and better and the world's largest circulation magazine, named Orlando Regional Medical Center and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando among the leading hospitals in America. Click here to read.

• Nemours received full accreditation for its human research protection program from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. This recognition places Nemours among the top research institutions in the United States. A few weeks ago, Nemours Childrens Hospital broke ground in Lake Nona's 'medical city' with plans for completion in 2012.

The newest edition of the EDC's award-winning Texture magazine is here. In this edition, you'll meet some of the rock stars of Metro Orlando. Rather than topping the Billboard charts, this talented group is making their mark as leaders in the new health and bio-tech cluster that is reverberating throughout Metro Orlando's economy. From research in cancer and diabetes, to advances in robotic surgery and mental health therapies, these "top docs" are break out artists in the world of science.

You'll get the dirt on the "economic gardening" trend that is becoming an important component of state and federal economic recovery plans. Much of the national dialogue about the importance of second-stage growth companies to job creation and renewed prosperity is being led by Orlando's Steve Quello, who has advised presidents, governors and legislators and whose theories are being advanced at the University of Central Florida.

This issue also sheds light on Central Florida's position in the growing solar power industry; takes a look at the future of commercial space launches; introduces you to the Creation Health theory of holistic healthcare; and much more. All of this is happening in Metro Orlando!

Published twice annually, the EDC's Texture magazine tells the stories of innovators and innovations from throughout our region. Click here to view Texture online!

The opportunity to seek instruction outside the classroom walls through online education is not a new concept. Most colleges and universities have offered courses over the Internet for the last decade. But today, more and more middle and high school students are using this method of instruction thanks to the Florida Virtual School - an accredited online school serving students in grades 6-12.

The Florida Virtual School currently serves between 55,000 and 70,000 students and offers 90 interactive courses. With the ability to slow down or speed up the curriculum based on individual needs, the program is good for students who are struggling as well as students who want to get ahead. This helps to further expand the scope of Florida's educational programs.

And the newest plans have the Florida Virtual School partnering with Orlando-based 360Ed - a digital media company with the goal of getting students as interested in education as they are in games and movies. Together, they are working to enhance online learning through interactive virtual technology in audio, video, movies and games. The newest innovation, Conspiracy Code, invites students to embark on an "American History Adventure" complete with 10 virtual missions and ongoing instructor feedback.

It is for these reasons and more that the Center for Digital Education recently ranked Florida #1 in the nation when it comes to the state's vision, policies, programs and strategies in online education.

For more on the Florida Virtual School, click here.

Robots - no longer as futuristic as they once seemed - can take many forms, some quite different than the traditional image the word conjures up. And the future of robotics, from healthcare to warfare, is evolving in Metro Orlando's hospitals, companies, military research commands and laboratories.

In fact, it's in the medical field where robots are making some of the biggest advances.

At the Global Robotics Institute at Celebration Health, part of the Florida Hospital network, Dr. Vipul Patel, the world's leading robotic surgeon, utilizes the da Vinci robot to perform minimally-invasive surgeries. In addition, at the Global Robotics Institute, Dr. Patel trains surgeons around the world.

Orlando Health was one of the first medical centers in Florida to have the "Dr. Robot" technology. This robot, formally known as the RP-7, is a nearly human-shaped robot that consists of a video monitor for a face, digital cameras for eyes and microphones for two-way communication. "Dr. Robot" makes it possible for a doctor at a remote location to talk with the patient without actually being there.

And research is underway at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Because robotics is a diverse field that incorporates many different aspects of science and technology, students from a variety of study disciplines gather in the Robotics Laboratory at UCF to conduct research on ground, underwater, surface and aerial vehicles.

For more about Orlando's future in robotics, click here.

Nearly 700 venture capital deals have closed in the State of Florida since 2000, resulting in more than $6.4 billion in total venture capital spending. A new state program hopes to accomplish more of the same. To help lure tech investment to Florida, the State of Florida has created the Florida Opportunity Fund, a multimillion-dollar program that directs investments to high-performing funds committed to seed and early stage businesses. This program seeks to realize significant long-term returns from funds making investments in early stage Florida opportunities.

The Florida Opportunity Fund is a fund of funds established by Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development arm, and managed by Florida First Partners (FFP). The program is designed to build upon investment activities of leading national venture capital investors, such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital and Sycamore Ventures. These firms provide capital to companies focused on developing advanced technologies like surgical robotics design, business intelligence software, defense and aerospace applications, and green methods to create new products out of recyclables.

The first series of applications from state, regional and national venture capital firms to be considered for funds from the program will be accepted through January 30, 2009. Interested participants from the venture capital community should visit www.floridaopportunityfund.com.

Companies and government agencies alike are all looking to cut costs right now. However, they don't want to sacrifice training for employees. The solution? Using virtual worlds for training purposes.

Virtual worlds provide a safe, secure and private training environment while reducing expenses incurred from traveling for conferences and other training.

Here is what three companies in Orlando are doing:

Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS) is in the process of designing a new virtual classroom which utilizes avatars for instructional delivery that will provide the Department of Homeland Security online/virtual world with 3D secure social network capabilities for training and education. Previously, ECS provided the National Guard Bureau will a virtual world called Nexus. And under a new contract with U.S. Army's RDECOM, ECS will adapt its Nexus virtual world program to train military medical professionals.

Forterra Systems, Inc builds distributed virtual world technology for defense, homeland security, medical, corporate training and education industries. The company's On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) technology provides private, service-oriented virtual worlds for global collaboration, training, simulation and planning.

Lockheed Martin has created Virtual World Labs to shape the future of training with the creation of collaborative simulation learning and data visualization solutions for government, military and corporate sectors. The company utilizes tools that enable it to modify the virtual world capabilities to the customer's needs and to maximize human potential. The company's UltiSim platform can be used to develop rules-based learning scenarios, as well as true non-linear simulations using high-fidelity dynamic/physics based models.