Hillsborough County Initiative Aimed At Attracting Tech Firms

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL -- The Tampa Bay area is gaining a national reputation as an up-and-coming player in the scramble to attract high-tech jobs, and Hillsborough County is nurturing the trend.

Established technical firms and start-ups, along with IT arms of sizable local companies, are changing the way Hillsborough County does business.

Hillsborough County’s Economic Development Innovation Initiative (EDI2 Program) supports the budding tech ecosystem by providing grant funding, connecting practitioners and helping firms acquire capital to pursue innovative ideas.

The county has an ulterior motive. Technology companies bring desirable, well-paying jobs to a community. They develop new services and industries, and they improve existing ones.

Cardinal Solutions came to Hillsborough County five years ago. With about 500 employees in eight cities, it provides creative technology to meet the needs of each client.

Primarily, Cardinal partners with Fortune 1000 organizations in finance, health care, retail, and manufacturing fields throughout West Central Florida.

Cardinal chose Hillsborough County because of an existing pool of smart, forward-thinking people who "do what we do," company leaders said. There's also a favorable climate for networking and establishing partnerships. And, it's a great place for employees to live, with warm weather, beaches, fishing and other amenities.

It's important for tech companies to locate in communities where businesses value what cutting-edge ideas and software can do for them, said Liam Brien, project manager of Cardinal's office on Harbour Island.

Cardinal identifies a client's root problem and fashions a solution with custom software, whether the challenge involves marketing, building additions/renovations or employee training.

"They're trying to find that edge, to get more value, faster, by using IT," Brien said.

Cardinal collaborates with other tech companies, and with businesses that have established IT departments.

"As we grow, they grow," said Brien

The county’s Economic Development Innovation Initiative provides services and resources for established companies like Cardinal as well as start-ups.

It also works closely with nonprofit partners - the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa Bay Wave and the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator - that support the area's tech entrepreneurs.

Additionally, the county's Entrepreneur Collaborative Center in Ybor City has a variety of programs for start-ups and tech-oriented professionals.

And monthly Homebrew Hillsborough sessions encourage networking among techies and entrepreneurs.

Image via Cardinal Solutions

Cardinal Solutions uses mixed reality technology to meet needs of clients in West Central Florida.

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