Schwartz Electro-Optics is a Florida company which epitomizes the spirit of the national SBIR program. First, this company has successfully performed on multiple Phase I and Phase II SBIR projects. Second, the company has achieved success in commercializing SBIR developed technologies. Third, the company has grown to become a successful technology company, providing employment opportunities and benefiting the economy of the State of Florida.
Between 1984-96 Schwartz Electro-Optics (SEO) received a total of 97 Phase I and II SBIR awards providing funding in excess of $17 million. Approximately half of these awards have converted to Phase II. Seven federal agencies have been involved - DOD, NASA, NIH, DOT, DOC, DOE and NSF.
Product commercialization from Phase II awards (with many projects still in process) have already resulted in 14 new commercial products. To develop these products, SEO has spent $3.8 million of company funds, averaging $270,000 per product. Seven (7) projects, or 50%, have produced significant revenue for the company, exceeding $25 million through 1996 and continuing at an increasing rate. Successful products have been in the field of medical, scientific and industrial lasers and in laser based sensors for toll roads and smart highway applications, for agricultural spraying and for topographical mapping. Five (5) of the seven (7) products have been in the marketplace for less than two years and are expected to contribute significantly to future years sales. Thus, the Company has made use of the SBIR program to not only perform important research for the seven federal agencies involved but to also spin off commercial products from the research involved.
From mid-95 to mid-97, Dr. Schwartz served as Chairman of the Board of the Technology Development Partnership of Enterprise Florida, the State's flagship economic development public-private partnership, and continues to serve as a Board member. Dr. Schwartz' widely recognized and unselfish work on behalf of state and local technology organizations has greatly benefited numerous students, employees, other companies, and the State of Florida as a whole.
The importance of SBIR to the Florida entrepreneurial community and to the state's technology based economic development is clearly recognized. Proposal writing assistance is available throughout the State University System; through state sponsored Innovation and Commercialization Centers which provide management, business plan and proposal preparation assistance, as well as technology commercialization services; and through the Southern Technology Applications Center,. All these are access points available to Florida companies seeking to participate in the SBIR program.
