Media Advisory

UF Innovation Hub set to open new wing – and double its size – on January 2, 2018

Construction work to double the size of the UF Innovation Hub, the University of Florida’s technology business incubator, is rapidly coming to an end. Clients will begin moving in to the building’s 50,000 square foot Phase II wing – comprised of nearly 100 office areas arranged in reconfigurable pods plus eight large workrooms and eight large wet labs – on January 2, 2018.

Innovation Hub staff, community members and clients – including sponsors, resident startups and affiliates – will celebrate the “Fall of the Wall” that separates the two phases on Friday, December 8 at 4:00pm in the lobby of the Innovation Hub. The event is open to the public and media representatives are encouraged to register and attend. The wall will be brought down over the ensuing weekend.

Video, photos and additional information are available online, and this content will be supplemented with additional video and imagery from the event and construction work as it becomes available, so please check the website frequently.

Select opportunities to tour the facility before it opens and meet with client companies planning to move into the new construction are available upon request beginning on January 2nd. To schedule a tour or arrange an interview, please contact Mark S. Long, Director of Incubation Services, at +1-352-846-1646 or mslong@ufl.edu.

Facts At-A-Glance

  • The UF Innovation Hub opened its doors October 2011, and just celebrated its six-year anniversary.
  • Initial funding for the UF Innovation Hub came from an $8.2 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration with an additional $5 million commitment from the University of Florida.
  • The incubator demonstrated such success that in 2015 the EDA awarded a second grant for $8 million with an additional $9 million match from UF. These grants funded the Phase II expansion project  currently underway.
  • Set to open in January 2018, this expansion doubles the size of the facility to a total of 100,000 sq ft.
  • With the new space, the UF Innovation Hub will be able to serve up to 50 high growth potential businesses in residence in a variety of industries at any one time.

About the Innovation Hub

The Innovation Hub at the University of Florida is the state’s premier technology incubator. Based in Gainesville, Florida, the Innovation Hub gives entrepreneurs access to an exclusive innovation ecosystem that has fostered dozens of startups, created more than 800 new jobs, and raised more than $67 million in capital. For more information, visit floridainnovationhub.ufl.edu.