Tampa‑based XTEND won a $1.67M contract from Israel's defense ministry as it prepares for a planned Nasdaq debut and expands local manufacturing.

Sidus Space and St. Petersburg's Lonestar Data Holdings amended a roughly $120M collaboration to add another StarVault orbital data vault, pushing commercial backups farther from Earth.

NSF's TechAccess program and a Labor Department MOU could channel up to $224M into state AI hubs that pair training with apprenticeships and help small businesses adopt AI. The first letters of intent are due in mid‑June.

Sarasota's TENEX.AI closed a $250M Series B to scale its AI‑native SOC, hire hundreds and expand into EMEA.

AI‑made war clips and recycled videos are circulating on social feeds. Local experts and fact‑checkers lay out the red flags and tools to tell what’s real.

spARK Labs filled all available offices with 45 startups and has started a waitlist as it expands programming and partnerships in St. Pete’s Innovation District.

The Global Virus Network cut the ribbon on its international headquarters at USF on March 5, bringing Robert Gallo and global virology programs to Tampa Bay. University and network leaders say the move strengthens local research, training and pandemic preparedness.

USF’s reported research expenditures climbed to $531M — a 15% gain in two years that is drawing federal and private dollars into Tampa Bay.

Pasco County has launched a "BioCoast" brand to market land, labs and clinical partners to biotech firms as Moffitt’s Speros campus advances. The effort ties Pasco to Tampa’s research district.

A Senate committee backed a NASA reauthorization that would extend the ISS to Sept. 30, 2032 and direct NASA to develop a permanent Moon base. The move shifts timelines for the Space Coast and commercial station builders.

A viral X post shows an OpenClaw AI assistant allegedly sending 70% below-asking offers to hundreds of Tampa Zillow listings, sparking outrage and security warnings.

The Tampa Bay Times is using a template-driven 'Times AI News Engine' to post short AI-written real-estate notices and weather alerts since September 2025. Editors say staff review most templates while a public AI policy is finalized.

UF researchers retooled tomato carotenoids with a pepper gene, producing orange fruit higher in beta‑carotene that could help address vitamin A deficiency.