(1) Create a business plan to foster the growth and development of the aerospace industry. The business plan must address business development, finance, spaceport operations, research and development, workforce development, and education. The business plan must be revised when determined as necessary by the board.
(2) Enter into agreement with the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, Enterprise Florida, Inc., and CareerSource Florida, Inc., for the purpose of implementing this act.
(3) In cooperation with Enterprise Florida, Inc., develop a plan to retain, expand, attract, and create aerospace industry entities, public or private, which results in the creation of high-value-added businesses and jobs in this state.
(4) Create a marketing campaign to help attract, develop, and retain aerospace businesses, aerospace research and technology, and other related activities in this state. Space Florida shall attempt to coordinate the campaign with existing economic development promotion efforts in this state and may use private resources. Marketing strategies may include developing promotional materials, Internet and print advertising, public relations and media placement, trade show attendance, and other activities.
(5) Consult with the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation in developing a space tourism marketing plan. Space Florida and the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation may enter into a mutually beneficial agreement that provides funding to the corporation for its services to implement this subsection.
(6) Develop, in cooperation with Enterprise Florida, Inc., a plan to provide financing assistance to aerospace businesses. The plan may include the following activities:
(a) Assembling, publishing, and disseminating information concerning financing opportunities and techniques for aerospace projects, programs, and activities; sources of public and private aerospace financing assistance; and sources of aerospace-related financing.
(b) Organizing, hosting, and participating in seminars and other forums designed to disseminate information and technical assistance regarding aerospace-related financing.
(c) Coordinating with programs and goals of the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the International Trade Administration of the United States Department of Commerce, the Foreign Credit Insurance Association, and other private and public programs and organizations, domestic and foreign.
(d) Establishing a network of contacts among those domestic and foreign public and private organizations that provide information, technical assistance, and financial support to the aerospace industry.
(e) Financing aerospace business development projects or initiatives using funds provided by the Legislature.
(7) Carry out its responsibilities for spaceport operations by:
(a) Seeking federal support and developing partnerships to renew and upgrade the infrastructure and technologies at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the John F. Kennedy Space Center, and the Eastern Range that will enhance space and military programs of the Federal Government, and improve access for commercial launch activities.
(b) Supporting federal efforts to clarify roles and responsibilities of federal agencies and eliminate duplicative federal rules and policies, in an effort to streamline access for commercial launch users.
(c) Pursuing the development of commercial spaceports in the state, in addition to those defined in s. 331.304, through a competitive request for proposals in partnership with counties or municipalities, the Federal Government, or private entities.
(d) Promoting and facilitating launch activity within the state by supporting and assisting commercial launch operators in completing and submitting required documentation and gaining approvals and authorization from the required federal agencies for launching from Florida.
(e) Consulting, as necessary, with the appropriate federal, state, and local authorities, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Florida National Guard, and industry on all aspects of establishing and operating spaceport infrastructure and related facilities within the state.
(8) Carry out its responsibility for research and development by:
(a) Contracting for the operations of the state’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory.
(b) Working in collaboration with one or more public or private universities and other public or private entities to foster and promote the research necessary to develop commercially promising, advanced, and innovative science and technology and transfer those discoveries to the commercial sector. This may include developing a proposal to establish a Center of Excellence for Aerospace.
(c) Supporting universities in this state that are members of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation to assure a safe, environmentally compatible, and efficient commercial space transportation system in this state.
(9) Carry out its responsibility for workforce development by coordinating with CareerSource Florida, Inc., community colleges, colleges, public and private universities, and other public and private partners to develop a plan to retain, train, and retrain workers, from entry-level skills training through to technician-level, and 4-year degrees and higher, with the skills most relevant to aerospace employers.
(10) Carry out its responsibility for creating innovative education programs by funding programs developed in conjunction with the Department of Education that target grades K-20 in an effort to promote mathematics and science education programs, which may include the Florida-NASA Matching Grant Program, aerospace-focused education programs for teachers, education-oriented microgravity flight programs for teachers and students, and Internet-based aerospace education. Funds appropriated and any in-kind or private sector contributions may be used to carry out innovative education programs. Funding levels shall be determined by the Space Florida board of directors. In its annual report, Space Florida shall include, at a minimum, a description of programs funded, the number of students served, and private sector support.
(11) Annually report on its performance with respect to its business plan, to include finance, spaceport operations, research and development, workforce development, and education. Space Florida shall submit the report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 30 for the previous fiscal year. The annual report must include operations information as required under s. 331.310(2)(e).
History.—s. 6, ch. 2006-60; s. 235, ch. 2011-142; s. 39, ch. 2013-39; s. 39, ch. 2013-42; s. 16, ch. 2014-218; s. 12, ch. 2015-98; s. 32, ch. 2018-110.