Approaching 40th anniversary, the Research Park at FAU drives innovation across South Florida

By Riley Kaminer

What’s going on in Boca?

Something’s in the air, that’s for sure. The town that gave birth to the first personal computer is not resting on its techy laurels.

Florida Atlantic University is very much in the center of this innovation through its Research Park. Since 2011, Andrew Duffell, President & CEO, has been at the forefront of these efforts, overseeing a steady stream of successful businesses while ensuring the region continues to benefit from their presence.

One of these major Research Park initiatives is Global Ventures, which helps foreign companies establish themselves stateside.

“100% of the companies that have come through Global Ventures remain in business,” Duffell told Refresh Miami.

As of July, 14 companies had graduated from the park’s Global Ventures incubator program, and only two have moved away – one to Texas and another back to Germany.

The Research Park is a gateway for international entrepreneurs. For instance, Duffell explained that they recently attracted Israeli startup Biobeat to Boca. The startup has developed an AI/ML powered health monitoring platform.

“Biobeat’s CEO had to return to Israel for military service, but now he’s back, and they’re ready to scale here,” Duffell said. Unfortunately, the broader effort to scale more Israeli companies has been impacted by ongoing conflict – but Duffell remains optimistic. They’re still working with Baptist Health to engage Israeli startups in solving pressing healthcare challenges in Florida, a partnership that has only been delayed, not derailed.

Beyond recruiting new companies, the Research Park’s mission remains laser-focused: to bridge academia with industry. “We exist to support research at Florida Atlantic University,” Duffell said. The park acts as a hub where technologists and entrepreneurs meet university researchers to advance discoveries that can be commercialized. This collaboration fosters innovation, creates jobs, and ultimately strengthens our local economy.

Next year will mark the Research Park’s 40th anniversary. The team is planning a series of events to celebrate and remind the South Florida community that they’ve been here all along, quietly laying the foundation for future growth. “A lot of our work has been foundational and behind the scenes, but in the next 40 years, we hope to be much more visible and impactful,” Duffell asserted.

As the South Florida tech scene continues to evolve, Duffell believes the role of organizations like his will only grow in importance. While Miami often gets the spotlight, he sees tremendous potential across the entire South Florida region. “There’s still a lot of flight capital from Latin America coming here. We’re a source of stability and security,” he said, pointing to entrepreneurs from Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela who are looking to expand in South Florida.

But Duffell also acknowledged that the tech ecosystem here needs to do more to support companies after their initial startup phase. In his view, many companies have their MVP and a few investors, but then they struggle to find the resources needed to scale.

“That’s where Global Ventures really adds value,” Duffell said. “We help companies bridge that gap between the startup phase and becoming a mature company, providing the support they need to grow beyond their initial launch.”

Photo at top of post: The Research Park at FAU team: From left, Ryan Lilly, Abigail Sears, Andrew Duffell and Jacki Wales.

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Riley Kaminer

I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.

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