The Miami Downtown Development Authority recently awarded a $25,000 grant to Incubate Miami. The funding will be used to expand and attract businesses that will create jobs, increase vitality, and bring residents to downtown Miami.

Part of the funding will be used to create a Technology Advisory Group for MDDA and local technology companies. The funding also will allow Incubate Miami to provide policy and advocacy support to MDDA on best practices, legislation, and available grant funding.

"The Miami DDA recognizes that downtown Miami is in a unique position to become a global center for innovation and the technology industry," MDDA Executive Director Alyce Robertson said. "We have all of the ingredients in place: an educated residential base, thriving business district, and affordable local universities graduating bright minds who are eager to enter the field.

"The DDA is eager to support Incubate Miami's mission to foster new technology enterprises that will invest in downtown Miami over the long-term," she continued. "This economic development initiative will diversify our economy, create jobs and produce homegrown companies in downtown Miami."

Incubate Miami is a public-private partnership between Digiport and The Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida. The organization supports emerging science and technology companies in Miami in an effort to create an innovation-based economy that will attract jobs and investments.

The organization is planning to host a "Startup Weekend" from November 19th to 21st. The 54-hour event will bring together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, software engineers and developers, and others who want to help build communities, companies, and projects.

The recently-opened Miami-Dade College North Campus Science Complex will work to advance education in STEM - or science, technology, engineering and mathematics - disciplines and serve as a regional hub for research development.

MDC, an undergraduate two-year college, considers the new science complex a valuable tool for students who must meet certain science course requirements in order to graduate. The 90,000-square-foot complex was funded in part by the State of Florida and two grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

The facility is equipped with the latest technology and features 21 laboratories with media stations, a Palmetum, a roof-top observatory, classrooms, lecture hall, faculty and administrative offices, botanical garden, greenhouse, chiller plant building, outdoor plaza and cafe.

The complex will serve as a hands-on training ground for students interested in biotechnology, chemical technology, environmental sciences and advanced manufacturing. Students who study these fields can end up in a variety of jobs, including everything from research technologist to environmental scientist.

"The Science Complex has been designed with the latest in the scientific industry as well as to provide exceptional learning environment and opportunities for science major students in the classroom and the laboratories," North Campus President Dr. José A. Vicente said.

"Intensive research of best practices from other institutions across the country was conducted by MDC prior to the architectural design development, and the Science Complex is now among those top institutions across the country," he added.