Florida: Waking the Sleeping High-Tech Giant -- Site Selection magazine, September 1999

They don't call it the Sunshine State for nothing. Mild temperatures prevail, enticing some 43 million visitors annually to partake in its world-class beaches and renowned entertainment destinations. But recently Florida has been luring a different kind of visitor -- those of the corporate kind, especially in the high-tech fields. And it's not just the physical climate that is appealing to these firms, but the business climate as well. Just ask Cirent Semiconductor (a division of Lucent Technologies), which invested approximately US$1 billion to expand its operations in Orlando.

"Our ongoing relationships with the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida are key to Lucent's continued willingness to invest in Florida," says Dr. Peter Panousis, chief executive officer of Cirent Semiconductor. "Add to that the support of legislators willing to make tax incentive changes that enhance Florida's business climate and continuing solid support from Orange County and the city of Orlando, and it is clear that Florida has taken its place among the leaders vying for high-tech industry."

To make certain that it makes the high-tech"short list," Florida has begun the process of cutting taxes, providing new incentives and further educating its work force. "Florida has always been a desirable place for people to want to live, and it has been something of a sleeping giant in terms of a modern economy," says John Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Enterprise Florida, the state's lead investment-promotion organization. "But as a result of these policies and programs, Florida is rapidly ascending into a modern international economy."

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