Health Sciences & Human Performance Enhancement

Health Sciences and Human Performance Enhancement is a significant target cluster due to its strong performance across the region. The health services side of industry is fairly well-developed throughout the region and supporting life sciences research and development activities are emerging. Several premier research and educational institutions with national and international reach, reputation and leadership are a regional strength that is earning Northwest Florida distinction as the world’s capitol for human performance improvement. Human performance enhancement refers to the augmentation of human skills through the use of technology, medicine or therapy designed to increase performance capability. At the heart of this transformation are two world-class research centers, the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) located in Escambia County, and The Andrews Institute located in Santa Rosa County.

The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), in Pensacola, is a pioneer for technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. These technologies include next-generation orthosis for human motion which merges technology in robotics with that in orthotics to produce wearable exoskeletons or cognitive aids that help to enhance perceptual skills in vision and other senses. In Gulf Breeze, The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, with internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, is becoming the world’s premier surgical and research center for human performance enhancement. The Andrews Institute is bringing top sports medicine and human performance enhancement practices to all age groups, youngsters through grandparents, and also bringing high school, collegiate, amateur and professional athletes as well as sports teams from all over the globe to train or recuperate at the facility. The Institute is also embarking on cutting-edge research in personalized medicine.

Medical device development is an emerging activity in Northwest Florida. More dominate, but still considered an emerging industry, is Health IT, the management of medical information between health care providers and consumers. Health IT and medical devices combine to form the Medical Technologies Industry. Synergies between Northwest Florida’s strong aerospace and defense sector, with heavy uses in metals and composites, have spurred research in the medical technologies industry. Located in Tallahassee, The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is staffed by over 900 scientists and engineers, and home to the largest, highest-powered magnet laboratory in the world. The lab is focused on developing technology that drives and supports high-quality scientific research at the highest magnetic fields. Combined with the Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials, which develops technology to manufacture materials that are strong, lighter, multifunctional and affordable, Tallahassee’s premier research institutions are providing great value to the burgeoning health science and human performance enhancement industry.

The drivers of the Health Science and Human Performance Enhancement Industry are positive. Changing lifestyle needs, increasing health demands of an aging population and medical advances, combined with the difficulty of outsourcing these services, point to significant market opportunities. Subsectors of particular interest to the region include medical devices, health information technology, wellness and human performance enhancement, and clinical testing and research.