The future of the Tampa Medical and Research District (TMRD), anchored by Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, will be guided by some of the region’s most influential power brokers as the district transitions from its establishment phase to growing national prominence.
The TMRD announced this month that its Board of Directors includes:
— Tampa General Hospital President and CEO John Couris
— USF Health Executive Vice President and Dean Dr. Charles Lockwood
— University of South Florida President Rhea Law
— University of Tampa President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg
— Tampa Bay Economic Development Council CEO Craig Richard
— Strategic Property Partners CEO Josh Taube
Jennifer Crabtree, longtime chief of staff to TGH President and CEO Couris, assumes the role of president of the TMRD.
“With Jennifer’s leadership and the new Ybor innovation center, the District is positioned to become a national destination for medical research, technology, and patient care,” Couris said.
The Tampa Medical and Research District is a robust and inclusive health care and life sciences ecosystem that attracts highly respected clinicians, scientists, educators, and investors to Tampa. As a result, the TMRD increases access to esteemed experts, unparalleled research, unique educational opportunities, and revolutionary health care services throughout the region. Crabtree will focus on gaining exposure for the TMRD as a national hub for health care innovation and economic development.
At the end of the month, TGH will open a 32,000-square-foot innovation center at 1205 E. Fifth Avenue in Tampa. The TMRD will be headquartered there, along with Tampa General’s innovation team, its venture capital arm TGH Ventures, and its analytics and information technology teams.
The new center will also include event spaces, classrooms, production rooms, and a “hospital room of the future” designed to showcase the latest advancements from the academic medical center.
“This is meant to be a collaborative hub where startups, researchers, and industry partners can come together,” Crabtree said in a recent interview with the Tampa Bay Business Journal. “It’s meant to be this kind of collaborative, physical space where we might not have signage yet all over the district for placemaking, but this is one focal point where we can bring folks in.”
Beyond health care, the District is expected to drive significant economic development by attracting companies in artificial intelligence, defense, and technology. Palantir’s decision to open its Tampa headquarters in the new Ybor office is just one of many indications that the Tampa Medical and Research District is a space where business, leadership, and innovation will prosper.
The district expects to ultimately generate over $8.3 billion in annual economic impact for the state of Florida, according to a study by the Washington Economics Group.