Samantha Miles

Talk Title

Progress Through Partnership: Lessons Across Industry, Applied Innovation, and Workforce

Description of Talk

Florida’s semiconductor future will be shaped not by any single institution, but by how well we work together to close the gaps between industry, applied research, and workforce development. This talk reflects on lessons learned from building collaborative innovation environments, the role hubs like Vertex can play in service of the broader ecosystem, and where we still have work to do to move faster, together.

Biography

Samantha Miles serves as Executive Director of Vertex, Florida Tech’s applied innovation hub in Palm Bay, where she helps shape the university’s approach to industry engagement, applied research, and workforce development. Her career has taken her across Australia, the Middle East, and the United States, leading multimillion-dollar national capacity-building initiatives, strengthening higher education systems, and forging partnerships with government, industry, and academia. Before joining Florida Tech, she led global learning and consulting programs that reached more than 10,000 researchers and educators, most notably through national initiatives in Egypt. At Florida Tech, she is driving the expansion of Vertex to create a more connected, industry-driven platform that supports the Space Coast’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.