BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
STARKE— Bradford County Manager Scott Kornegay toured the Oracle Innovation Lab near Chicago on Jan. 30 and 31.
Joining Kornegay on a team representing Florida were Sara Hand, CEO of Spark Growth, and Scott Winston, CEO of Built to Scale.
The learning session showcased connected technologies, their tactical use, and how to promote digital equity for all.
The day-long event focused on the benefits of public-private collaboration using the New American Model for Digital Infrastructure and connected technologies to advance and connect the United States through public partnerships and private investment.
The visit could lead to additional partnerships between the county and Oracle or another technology company.
“Bradford County is a prime candidate to showcase the value proposition that digital infrastructure and connected innovation can drive transformational economic development,” said Hand.
Kornegay said he first worked with Hand while he was executive director of the Lake Region Development Corporation, whose mission is to improve the area’s economy and quality of life.
When the tour’s organizer asked Hand to identify a community leader who could represent their organization and had a history of collaboration benefitting a region, she said Kornegay was an obvious choice.
Oracle opened its Deerfield, Illinois innovation lab 30 miles north of Chicago in 2019. The 40,000-square-foot facility features demonstration space for construction technologies, including robotics and cloud data integration.
The Austin, Texas-based software company has several innovation labs around the country, each focusing on a specific industry. They allow organizations to integrate new technologies with Oracle’s software products.
