During his interview activities leading up to his April 2023 employment with Florida Institute of Technology President John Nicklow, he toured Camid, a university that expands its 100,494 square feet of manufacturing design complex on Palm Bay Road.
“Initially I was very excited.” We have this facility here and it is fantastic. ” And I went inside – and I thought, ‘It’s half empty,'” Nicklow recalled.
“And maybe there’s more,” he said.
So, Florida Institute of Technology has rebooted its underutilized center for advanced manufacturing and innovative design as its new “Applied Innovation Hub” Vertex. The top office space, manufacturing and clean rooms do not function as traditional academic buildings, but rather host business tenants, contract research and development, facility rentals, labor training, and more.
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“If we do our job right and you come back a year from now, this place will be a bustling nest,” said Samantha Miles, the top executive director, on the second floor of the complex. He said he was sitting in the meeting room.
Born in Melbourne Beach and hired in November, Miles previously held leadership positions at United Emirates’ Dubai research firm and business school. He served as a student experience coordinator at the University of South Queensland, Australia. He held a student-centered position at Florida Atlantic University.
“We are currently undergoing a major transition period. We are not only improving spaces and improving industry-oriented, but we are redesigning our labs. We are redesigning our joint spaces. We are upgrading our equipment. A-to-Z,” Miles said.
As of today, Vertex lives in Camid, Florida Tech Research Institute and four businesses. LarsenMotorsportsJet Dragster Racing Team. Safesky Systems USA and enthusiastic OTMs (drone and surveillance company); Solar transport systems (solar-powered electric vehicle company).
Miles said the unused second story space above the Larsen Motorsports Shop is under construction for future drone testing and composite materials research labs. This area also includes Ascend, an acronym for Aerospace cybersecurity engineering development. In June, Florida Institute of Technology announced it would receive $5 million in state funding for Ascend.
“My pet peeps are, in this case, space, when we are not properly or fully capitalized assets. So, that was the idea. “Nicklow asked.
Intersil donated the land building in 2013
The pinnacle is off the intersection of Palm Bay Road and Robert J. Conrum Boulevard, about 3.5 miles from the Melbourne-based STEM University campus.
Harris Semiconductor built the building in 1977. It then housed Intersil Corp. integrated circuits and communications facilities for government, defense, aerospace and commercial programs until 2009. This building was known as Fab 54.
In September 2013, Intersil donated a complex with nearly 300 parking spaces and five acres of land to Florida Institute of Technology. This is a $13.1 million gift. This massive donation occurred during Florida’s technology expansion era, when universities added on-campus and off-campus facilities and programs.
Pansar Bay apartments near Florida Institute of Technology opened that year on Palm Bay Road, more than a mile west. The new Panthers football team also made their debut in September 2013 when they defeated Stetson 20-13 at Pirates Stadium in Palm Bay High. The football program was removed for financial reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Florida Institute of Technology announced a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Agency in October 2015, opening its previous Intersil complex as Camid. Installation equipment includes computer-driven manufacturing equipment such as prototype manufacturing bays, microelectronic tools, metal cutting bays for water jets and plasma, and 3D printers.
Jason Jones runs Safesky Systems USA and an avid OTM, building drones on top. He recently exhibited a black quadcopter drone that flew through a flame wildfire area near Pasadena, California.
“The way we do and the way the center grows gives us abilities we didn’t think we had,” Jones said.
The pinnacle will open on the tour on March 28th
Florida Institute of Technology staff will be offering a complimentary tour of the pinnacle at the Innovation Ecosystem Expo on March 28th from 2pm to 4pm.
The address is 2495 Palm Bay Road NE and the public is invited. The Expo includes an indoor and exterior showcase with a Vertex Partners booth and a 30-minute workshop.
Rick Neal is a Florida space reporter today. Please contact neale attrneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/x: @rickneale1
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