Marine Technology Research Center Coming To St. Petersburg

By STEPHEN THOMPSON
The Tampa Tribune
Published: Dec 1, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - SRI International, a Silicon Valley giant known for the development of the computer mouse, has picked the port of St. Petersburg as the site for a marine technology research center.

Local and state officials say the move could help position the Tampa Bay area as the premier location for maritime innovations on the Eastern Seaboard. The new facility will take the place of a warehouse at the port, and will take up 30,000 to 35,000 square feet. The $10 million needed to erect it will be paid by the state and the county. SRI also is receiving a $20 million grant from the state to offset start-up costs for the first three to five years of operation.

The Menlo Park, Calif.-based nonprofit company is expected to hire about 40 research engineers from the University of South Florida's Center for Ocean Technology as part of an arrangement announced Thursday by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and Curt Carlson, SRI's chief executive officer.

Those engineers have been involved in a range of innovations SRI is interested in, said Peter R. Betzer, dean of USF's College of Marine Science. Specifically, they have designed sensor-based underwater technology that was used to screen the hulls of boats in Jacksonville's harbor during the Super Bowl, and they have designed a spectrometer that can spot irregularities in bodies of liquid - such as chemicals that were dumped in a sewer line.

Carlson said the sensor technology could prove useful for surveillance in the country's ports. Other technology designed by the engineers could be used to investigate red tide.

The initial creation of 40 jobs may seem paltry, officials acknowledged, but they stressed there could be wider ramifications for Florida's economy if SRI International succeeds in finding applications for innovations first uncovered at USF. The university and SRI will be closely affiliated as a result of the new center.

SRI is renowned for its access to venture capitalists and its ability to launch spin-off companies to develop and market products based on raw science. It revolutionized the banking industry, for instance, with the invention of magnetic ink character recognition.

"Not only will the presence of SRI have a tremendous impact on the continued growth of our bio-sciences base," Gov. Jeb Bush said in a letter read at the announcement, "the arrival of this renowned marine technology research institution to Florida will position us at the forefront of the nation's marine exploration and discovery efforts in ocean science, the maritime industry and port security."

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 823-3303.