About Florida BioDatabase

The University of Florida’s Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator (SMBI) management team recognized Florida’s need for a better understanding of its growing biotechnology sector. It also recognized the value to its own program of developing baseline information against which UF’s role in assisting with the growth of this statewide industry could be measured.

SMBI was in a unique position to take a leadership role based on past work on statewide company recruitment for various investor forums and in 2006 the concept of a free online database took shape and became the Florida BioDatabase (FBD) project.

Michael Schmitt, MD, a life science analyst in Lakeland, Florida, was retained by SMBI to design the project and collect the needed information. Dr. Schmitt has been tracking Florida biotech companies for over 5 years and was the author of the 2003 Japanese External Trade Organization's report on Florida's biotech companies.

Company information came from publicly available sources supplemented by conversations with Florida university technology licensing and business incubator staff around the state. Debra Neill-Mareci, of Neill-BioMedical Art, designed the web site and worked closely with Robert A. Jack, Jr. of Novelty Systems Web Design and Consulting who built the database. Bryan Almira, SMBI IT Administrator, designed the network interface. The Florida BioDatabase was unveiled at the BioFlorida Annual Conference in 2007.

A process for keeping the information current on a semi annual (preferably quarterly) basis was defined at the outset. This includes web-based feedback forms from the companies themselves, a periodic review of company websites and routine contact with university licensing departments and business incubators.