The Tampa Bay Job Market - Technology
Tampa Bay is home to hundreds of medical technology companies, including medical device manufacturers and suppliers, pharmaceutical firms, cutting-edge biotech companies and information technology firms with healthcare-related components.
Medical Device Manufacturers
Medical product manufacturers dominate the Tampa Bay medical technology industry, and place the region in the top 20 clusters nationwide.
According to a 2002 USF Center for Economic Development study, the industry employs over 10,000 people and produces over $2 billion worth of goods and services annually in the Tampa Bay area - an economic impact of more than 51,000 jobs and $5 billion.
Local manufacturers have a corner on the market in devices used for minimally invasive surgery, disposable supplies, orthopedic and cardiac implants, diagnostic imaging, sterilization equipment and more.
The Florida Medical Manufacturers' Consortium reports that Pinellas County has the major share - about 70 percent - of medical manufacturing companies in the Bay area.
The medical manufacturer"s consortium was developed to further the interests of this cluster in the Tampa Bay region and throughout the state of Florida.
Here are highlights of Tampa Bay"s medical manufacturing cluster:
Hillsborough County
- Bausch & Lomb, a manufacturer of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals
- B&M Precision, Inc., a manufacturer of medical and surgical instruments
- SRI/Surgical Express, Inc., a provider of reusable and disposable surgical products and central processing and case cart management for the healthcare industry
Manatee County
- Benz Research, a researcher, designer and manufacturer of contact lenses
Pinellas County
- Essilor, a world leader in corrective lenses
- Linvatec Corporation, a manufacturer of orthopedic surgical instruments
- Baxter Healthcare Corp., a manufacturer of renal dialysis and blood collection instruments
- Transitions Optical, Inc., a manufacturer of photochromic ophthalmic lenses
- Maxxim Medical Inc., a manufacturer of surgical devices
- Oscor, Inc., a manufacturer of pacing lead systems used in cardiac pacemakers
- Halkey-Roberts Corp., a manufacturer of small plastic parts for medical and inflation industries
- NDH Medical, Inc., product development and contract manufacturing
- Cardinal Health, Inc., manufacturer of soft gelatin capsules
- Florida Infusion Services, Inc., a home infusion pharmaceutical distributor
Pasco County
- VLOC, Inc., a manufacturer of precision optics and laser crystals for several markets, including health care.
- Twin Star Optics, also a manufacturer of medical and other lasers, and recipient of the 2002 Pasco Economic Council new industry award.
Polk County
- Doyen Medipharm, Inc., develops packaging and fabricating machinery for medical and surgical supplies.
Sarasota County
- Hoveround, Inc., designs, manufactures and distributes power wheelchairs
Biotechnology Companies
Biotechnology companies are often at the cross-roads between research and commercialization, bringing exciting new developments in life sciences to the marketplace.
Here are some Tampa Bay examples:
- Biolife, LLC, in Manatee County, won the 2003 Innovation Award from the Suncoast Technology Alliance for its new, innovative first-aid powder that stops bleeding on contact and forms a protective scab. The product has several niche markets, which includes sports medicine, occupational health and safety at the worksite, doctor"s offices and hospitals, and more recently, consumers.
- Tampa's Romark Laboratories is a pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery of new drugs for treating infectious diseases and cancer. The company recently received FDA approval for Alinia, a new drug designed to treat gastrointestinal illnesses caused by waterborne parasites, especially those found in swimming pools, water parks and fountains.
- Sarasota's SinoFresh Health Care is developing new non-addictive over-the-counter products to treat chronic sinus problems caused by mold, mildew and other irritants.
- Pinellas County's Intelligent Micro Patterning develops micro-devices such as minute circuit boards and sensors that can be used by medical researchers, marine ocean scientists and in fiber optic networks. This company is a successful USF spin off that can miniaturize patterns to as small as 5 microns for various biotechnology applications.
Information Technology
Information technology plays an important role in all segments of industry, including healthcare and medical technology. The Tampa Bay region is home to several information technology companies that support the healthcare industry market.
Here are some examples of Tampa Bay"s innovative information technology companies:
- In Hillsborough County, Gold Standard Multimedia is a leading developer of clinical drug information and medical education software. GSM"s products are used by the largest retail pharmacy chains and consultant pharmacy corporations, over 700 hospitals, major healthcare-related websites and in 95 percent of U.S. medical and pharmacy schools. The company is ranked by Deloitte & Touche as one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in the country.
- Iliant, also in Hillsborough, provides physician medical practices with technology and management services, including billing and collections, business support and information technology.
- Manatee County's Decision Management International offers documentation compliance software for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and similar industries.
- In Pasco County, Tingley Systems & Evolutionary Vision Technology is an information technology company that develops and designs software for the healthcare industry and other markets.
- Clinication, located in Pinellas County, markets a patient compliance software system that helps physicians ensure that patients follow the prescribed treatment plan. The goal is to improve quality of care, reduce costs and influence patient behavior with better outcomes.
- Omega Health Systems, also in Pinellas County, develops software to support health care information technology in the areas of medical necessity compliance, revenue management and cash protection.
- In Sarasota County, Netwise Technologies is a provider of Web-based collaboration software with various markets. With partner Quincy Technologies in Atlanta, Netwise has contracted with medical examiners" offices around the country to manage medical examiners" caseloads