The National Forensic Science Technology Center plans to launch a new specialized division, which will create 40 new jobs that will be paid 150 percent of the annual average Pinellas County wage.
The
National Forensic Science Technology Center, a nonprofit organization that provides training, assessment, research and technology assistance to the justice, forensic science and military communities, already has 55 high-paying jobs in Pinellas County. The expansion will create a new for-profit enterprise, the
Forensic Innovation Center. The expansion is being fostered by
Pinellas County Economic Development and Florida's
Qualified Target Industry. QTI is a tax refund program that allows new and expanding businesses to create new and high-paying jobs in exchange for tax refunds.
The partnership between the
Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, Enterprise Florida and Pinellas County allows targeted high-growth industries like the FIC to alleviate some of its costs in development.
The intention of the QTI program is not only to create jobs and attract business to Florida, it is also to maintain local business and their employees.
FIC's project will be to test and evaluate advanced forensic intelligence tools and systems. This is important in relation to national security and will be a vital support in data and knowledge exchange between government and private organizations.
The research FIC will focus on is forensic intelligence solutions related to crime and threats in relation to target areas of science, homeland security and training.
The result of the QTI program is that it eliminated some of the cost of FIC's expansion so the company was able to stay in Pinellas County.
Writer:
Mandy ErfourthSource: Stacey Swank, Pinellas County Economic Development
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