Pillar 02 · Industry Cluster Analysis
What worked, what stalled,
what comes next.
A scorecard of all five 2014 Grow Smarter clusters and seven HSG-recommended clusters for 2026 and beyond — refined where possible, replaced where necessary.
2014 Grow Smarter Initiative
Five-cluster performance audit
Marine & Life Sciences
Oceanography, biotech, marine engineering, and applied life-sciences research anchored by Eckerd College, USF St. Petersburg, USGS, and the new SRI Innovation District.
Jobs · 2024
5,650
+1,750 (+44.9%)
LQ · 2024
1.62
+0.22 vs 2014
Anchors
5
key employer anchors
HSG Recommendation
Expand to Marine, Life & Climate Sciences — fold in coastal resilience, climate adaptation, and blue economy.
Anchor Employers & Institutions
HSG Recommended · 2026 +
Seven target clusters for the next decade.
Four refined from the 2014 plan, three new. Each tied to a clear data signal, anchor employers, and a workforce pathway.
Marine, Life & Climate Sciences
Combine 2014 Marine & Life Sciences with coastal resilience, climate adaptation, and the blue economy. SRI Innovation District positions St. Pete uniquely.
Signal: LQ 1.62 · highest research density per capita in FL gulf coast
Financial Services & FinTech
Build on Raymond James + Franklin Templeton. Add an explicit FinTech overlay (capital markets, wealth tech, embedded finance).
Signal: Raymond James 8,500+ FTE; HQ-grade financial cluster anchor
AI, Data & Decision Sciences
Refine 2014 Data Analytics with explicit AI/ML positioning. Pair with Catalyst Hub and USF Muma.
Signal: Fastest-growing white-collar cluster in MSA; 22% job growth 2019-2024
Creative Arts, Design & Cultural Tourism
Pair the creative class with the $2.4B regional tourism economy. Build on murals, museums, and the Pier district.
Signal: Tourism + creative class = 18% of city employment
Health Innovation & MedTech
Anchored by Bayfront Health, Johns Hopkins All Children's, and USF Health. Largest job base in the city — formalize as target cluster.
Signal: Top employer cluster in St. Pete; underleveraged in 2014 plan
Sustainable & Specialized Manufacturing
Salvage 2014 manufacturing focus with explicit clean-tech, resilient infrastructure, and marine-systems positioning.
Signal: Replace declining traditional manufacturing with clean-tech specialization
Climate Resilience & Coastal Engineering
Storm-surge engineering, coastal infrastructure, climate-tech, and resilience services. Positions St. Pete as a global model.
Signal: Hurricane Helene + Milton accelerate national demand for this expertise
Cluster architecture · before & after
From 5 to 7 — and from generic to precision-positioned
2014 Grow Smarter
- —Marine & Life Sciences
- —Specialized Manufacturing
- —Financial Services
- —Data Analytics & Decision Support
- —Creative Arts & Design
HSG Recommended (2026+)
- ✦Marine, Life & Climate Sciences
- ✦Financial Services & FinTech
- ✦AI, Data & Decision Sciences
- ✦Creative Arts, Design & Cultural Tourism
- ✦Health Innovation & MedTech
- ✦Sustainable & Specialized Manufacturing
- ✦Climate Resilience & Coastal Engineering