Alison Barlow, CEO, St. Pete Innovation District

July 2026 — Over the past year, the St. Petersburg Innovation District has advanced major planning, blue economy, and resilience-focused initiatives that are reshaping the region’s innovation ecosystem. CEO Alison Barlow spoke with Invest: about the district’s first comprehensive master plan, the accelerating momentum around ocean and defense technologies, and the growing importance of talent development as new industries emerge. She also highlighted trends in AI, autonomy, and mobility that are set to influence Florida’s tech landscape. “You cannot start any tech conversation without discussing AI.”

What key changes or milestones over the past year have most influenced your work and strategy?

The first thing would be the development of a master plan. When the Innovation District was first established, it was organically populated by some amazing institutions, so we did not initially need a master plan. But as landowners began bringing new ideas forward, whether around redevelopment or potential property sales, and as our institutions started thinking differently about land use, it made sense to create a comprehensive plan.

We expect to publish it by early 2026. It will set the tone for zoning, desired uses, and mix of uses, and connectivity to the historic Gas Plant site just north of us. It also addresses how we create resilient structures, as half of the district sits within the Coastal High Hazard area.

Beyond the master plan, what new or ongoing initiatives are having the most meaningful impact on the district’s mission and the broader Tampa Bay innovation ecosystem?

One major area is what we refer to as the ocean economy. It can be challenging to define, but it includes all the businesses that rely on the water — everything from commercial shipping and fishing to tourism. It is a huge part of Tampa Bay’s economic sector.

While we previously focused heavily on St. Pete, in the last year we expanded our collaborations across Tampa Bay and began developing a regional  ocean strategy. We identified eight priority areas, including research needs, facilities expansion, and maritime tech support for startups. To deepen that support, we are working on the capital stack for a new building at Port St. Pete.

We are also heavily involved in national defense-related work, given our proximity to MacDill Air Force Base, much of it tied to water-based security and revitalizing U.S. ship building.

Another initiative is future air mobility. The city created a task force exploring air taxis, looking at zoning, fire safety implications given heavy battery use, and potential routes. St. Pete’s Albert Whitted Airport could serve as a strong companion to Tampa International Airport as this evolves.

The district was selected as one of four national teams for NOAA’s Ocean Enterprise Innovation Initiative. How is the Continuum evolving?

The Continuum is a fascinating case study. It has seven partners — three in Tampa Bay (University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Wave, and the Innovation District) and four outside the region. Traditionally, an ocean-focused startup would complete one accelerator program and then be on its own.

We wanted to create a continuous pathway of services, which is where the name “Continuum” came from. A company might start with one of our accelerators that is strong in early-stage support, then continue to work with us build the business through connections with subject matter experts and potential customers, and later move to another one of our accelerators focused on scaling.

It has been important for us and for Tampa Bay, given the region’s strong client opportunities. After two hurricanes last year, we learned new lessons about resilience, storm predictability, coastal mapping, and impacts on shipping channels, all of which influence fuel availability and supply chains.

Our partners need data and tech solutions, and their input  helps to guide the startups. We have seen clever solutions emerging nationally, and the hope is that Tampa Bay can serve as a testbed and early customer base. These challenges are not unique to us, and the nationwide connectivity strengthens the work.

What trends across Florida’s blue economy or the broader innovation ecosystem will be most influential in the next few years?

You cannot start any tech conversation without discussing AI. The machine learning models are getting smarter as we refine them, give feedback, and learn new applications.

A key trend is the transition to more dual-use technology. A cyber or AI expert could move from finance to marine science to life sciences because the underlying principles are universal, even as subject-matter expertise remains important.

Autonomous systems, whether in the air, on land, or in the water, will grow significantly. We are already seeing vehicles that travel on water, lift off, and land back on the water. Air taxis will begin with pilots, but signs point to the FAA eventually supporting autonomous operations.

Battery power is a major issue across AI enablement, air taxis, and other technologies. Micro-data centers, mobility solutions, and autonomous systems all require reliable power.

Government partners are also increasingly seeking robotic solutions, which ties closely to autonomy, though they still often address them separately.

How is the district approaching talent attraction and workforce development, particularly given the competition for specialized talent?

We work at several levels. First, we expose young people to jobs they may not even know exist — roles today that none of us could have imagined years ago. Many future jobs for today’s middle-schoolers do not yet exist. Creating curiosity early helps them consider these pathways.

Second, we help college and university students gain deeper experiences through internships and job shadowing. Years ago, we created a program with USF St. Petersburg called Innovation Scholars offering incoming freshmen job-shadowing opportunities aligned with their intended field. The outcome is equally valuable whether a student loves the job or realizes they dislike it. Early clarity allows them to pivot before they are too far down an academic path.

Finally, we are working with institutions to support programs that do not require a four-year degree. In the blue economy, that could include becoming a ship deckhand, a specialized vessel engineer, or a drone mechanic. These roles are becoming more visible, and we are helping young people access the relevant training programs.

Looking ahead, what are your primary goals and priorities for the next two to three years?

At the local level, aligned with our master plan, we want to create more spaces for entrepreneurs and innovators to work and collaborate. St. Petersburg has enjoyed a very low office vacancy rate, and we are running out of space.

We also want to maintain our connection to the water, providing facilities where startups can deploy drones and other technologies directly into the marine environment. Geography is a major advantage for us.

Another critical priority is coastal resilience. We are a peninsula on a peninsula, and climate, flood risk, rainy day flooding, and sunny day flooding will always be part of our reality. We must continue to improve urban planning, construction practices, and natural interventions.

A major focus will be visualization tools that help people understand resiliency options. It is difficult to picture the different benefits of mangroves versus a seawall without visual aids. AI and other technologies will increasingly converge to help us make better decisions.