New Avenues for Collaboration

The Team Orlando Tech Grove became official in September 2020 when the first Collaborative Project Order was issued toward the Partnership Intermediary Agreement (valued at $369,738) between the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division and the University of Central Florida Research Foundation (UCFRF).

The Tech Grove will open new avenues for collaboration between a wide range of businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, academia and Team Orlando's military modeling and simulation commands.

"The agreement allows Team Orlando commands to seek collaborative partnerships with non-traditional small businesses, including start-ups, entrepreneurs, innovators and academia," said Central Florida Tech Bridge Director, Diana Teel. "The Central Florida Tech Bridge and the new Team Orlando Tech Grove allows us to take on more difficult problems and move forward on the Technology Roadmap."

For more on how the military is increasing the bar on performance, read  Measuring and Evaluating – With Greater Purpose

"We are excited see Tech Grove launch. Both the physical and virtual portions of this venue will do great things to deepen the existing connections within Team Orlando and expand our ecosystem in ways we can't even fully envision," said NAWCTSD Commanding Officer Capt. Tim Hill. "I fully expect that the products that will come into being as a result of this investment in collaboration will keep our nation's warfighters ready for years to come, and I'm betting that Tech Grove will help solve some hard problems outside the training domain as well."

The new Tech Grove partnership will allow Team Orlando's military modeling and simulation organizations to take advantage of UCFRF's connections throughout Central Florida.

“The University of Central Florida was established to serve the needs of our nation’s defense and space industries.  We have always been deeply entwined with our military services supporting the needs of our warfighters with cutting-edge research and outstanding talent,” said Interim Central Florida Tech Grove Manager, Carol Ann Logue.  “Executing the Partnership Intermediary Agreement is a natural next step in that relationship.  Through the Central Florida Tech Grove, we will be able to tap our extensive connections across the region, state and nation in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to find untapped innovators with new solutions.”

Along with the Central Florida Tech Bridge, the Central Florida Tech Grove will allow the Navy to innovate with problem solvers that it traditionally works with as well as with non-traditional entities.