Facts

• Metro Orlando has a rapidly growing $13.4 billion technology industry employing 70,000 people.
  
  
• Orlando has nationally recognized clusters of innovation in digital media, agritechnology, aviation and aerospace, and software.
  
  
• The University of Central Florida is now the 6th largest university in the country with over $120 million in research; international reputations in innovations in lasers/optics AND hospitality; AND a new medical school breaking ground.
  
  
• Industry giant Electronic Arts - the world’s leading independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software - creates some of the world’s top-selling games in Metro Orlando, including the popular Madden NFL Football, NCAA Football, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and several other game series.
  
  
• Metro Orlando has the 7th largest research park in the country (Central Florida Research Park) with over 1,025 acres. It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation’s military simulation and training programs.
  
  
• The University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation & Training developed the nation’s first master’s and PhD programs in simulation and human performance enhancement.
  
  
• Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
  
  
• More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.
  
  
• Lockheed Martin Missile’s and Fire Control facility in Orlando was one of the first industrial buildings in the nation to receive the ‘Energy Star Building’ designation for innovation in energy conservation.

Rankings

• Fast Company magazine names Orlando as one of the “12 Best Cities for Innovation.”
  
  
• Florida ranks second on the list of "most pro-business states" in a survey conducted by Pollina Corporate Real Estate.
  
  
• Florida ranked 4th in the nation for A.P. student performance.
  
  
• Orlando International Airport is busiest airport in Florida, according to aviation authority statistics.
  
  
• According to Forbes, Orlando is the 9th fastest growing metro.
  
  
• Global Insight says Orlando will be #1 for job growth from 2007–2012.
  
  
• Forbes.com ranks Metro Orlando fifth on their annual list of "Most Wired Cities."
  
  
• Metro Orlando ranks 5th among Milken Institute’s 2007 "Best Performing Cities."
  
  
• The Tax Foundation ranks Florida as the 5th "Business Friendly Tax State" for 2008.
  
  
• BusinessWeek featured Metro Orlando among its picks of "global hot spots" in its issue titled "What Makes a Winner: The Competition Issue." Orlando is one of three communities in the world to be featured.
  
  
• Simultaneously, Orlando has been ranked the No. 1 spot to grow a small business by bizjournal, No. 1 for America's best jobs in the hottest markets by Business 2.0, and the No. 4 hottest spot for job creation by Expansion Management.
  
  
• For the fourth consecutive year, the Metro Orlando economy ranks among the strongest economies in the U.S. and the strongest in the state of Florida according to the annual POLICOM Economic Strength Rankings.
  
  
• Orlando is the 12th "Hottest Job Market” according to Business2.0.
  
  
• Inc. magazine names Orlando as the fourth “Best City for Business” in the large cities category.
  
  
• fDi magazine recognizes Orlando as one of the “North American Cities of the Future”; No. 3 in “Most Business Friendly;” and No. 4 in “Quality of Life.”
  
  
• Southern Business & Development names Orlando as one of the “Top 10 Places in the South for Emerging Industries.”
  
  
• AeA says Florida is the “Fourth-Largest and Second-Fastest Growing Cyberstate by Tech Employment.”
  
  
• Biz Journals ranks Florida as the ninth “Best Market for Young Adult Job Seekers.”
  
  
• Orlando is the third “Best Pro-Business State,” according to Pollina Corporation.
  
  
• According to Forbes magazine, Orlando is the fourth “Best City in the Country for creating jobs.”
  
  
• Expansion Management names Orlando as one of the “50 Hottest Cities.”
  
  
• Grubb & Ellis Market Strength Forecast for 2007 named Orlando’s office market No. 8 in U.S. survey as an investment opportunity.
  
  
• Wired magazine names Orlando as one of the nation’s “Best Geek Cities”, citing the area as a top ten place to “get your geek on.”
  
  
• Metro Orlando was named one of ten "Blooming U.S. Cities for Tech" according to eWEEK.com.
  
  
• Forbes magazine lists Metro Orlando among the "Best Places for Business and Careers."
  
  
• U.S. News and World Report's ranking of "America's Best College" names Rollins College as the number one university in the South.
  
  
• Florida has been ranked as a “Top 10 Places for Film Production in the U.S.” by P3/Production Update magazine.
  
  
• Metro Orlando ranks 3rd among Inc. magazine's "Hottest Large Cities for Doing Business" and 28th in the nation for entrepreneurs.
  
  
• Metro Orlando ranks second on the list of "Six Great Relocation Destinations" published by Retirement Solutions Foundation.
  
  
• Metro Orlando is the “Number One City for Entrepreneurs” by Entrepreneur Magazine.
  
  
• Metro Orlando has been named in previous years as a "Major Market of the Year" by Southern Business & Development.
  
  
• Metro Orlando ranks as one of the top five “Cities for Moviemakers” by MovieMaker Magazine.
  
  
• Florida ranks as one of the top five states for start-ups in twelve of twelve business categories by Global Corporate Xpansion magazine and BizMiner.
  
  
• According to Harris Poll, Florida is the 2nd "Most Popular Place to Live."
  
  
• Florida ranks among the top three states with best workforce training programs, according to Expansion Management.
  
  
• Wall Street Journal ranks Orlando 7th for "Business Vitality."