Bryan Thomas, City of Newberry presented a discussion of Economic Development Priorities for the City. See attached presentation. The City’s primary economic development initiative is their Agri-Tech Research Park. The City is working with UF/IFAS to create an Agricultural focused research and business incubation facility where the public sector conducts the primary research, and the private sector then takes new agricultural technologies to the market. It is similar in concept to the Sid Martin bio-tech incubator and Progress Park in Alachua. The Committee will visit Progress Park in October.
Newberry’s Agri-Tech Research Park mission is to create an Agriculture-based Innovation Center that advances the commercialization of agricultural innovations and stimulates new agribusiness and supporting technology companies, thereby strengthening the agricultural employment base of Newberry and Florida.