NSU Broward Center of Innovation Partners with CEC for Collaborative Partnership

The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation), an economic and education development engine in South Florida, is pleased to announce its first official innovation nation partnership with Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) to establish the Cayman Islands Country Desk initiative at the Levan Center of Innovation. The initiative will provide a business residence for entrepreneurs based in the Cayman Islands and create new opportunities linking the Cayman Islands to South Florida using the Levan Center of Innovation as the launch pad for U.S. market entry.

“The opportunity for NSU and the Levan Center of Innovation to partner with Cayman Enterprise City creates unlimited possibilities for startup companies based in the Cayman Islands to enter the U.S. market successfully,” said John Wensveen, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer, NSU and Executive Director of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. “The Levan Center of Innovation will act as the landing pad for such entrepreneurs using The World’s First Theme Park for Entrepreneurs™ as the connection to customized programs, events, services, customers, and funding opportunities in South Florida. This initiative also provides entrepreneurs based at the Levan Center of Innovation opportunities to access CEC’s master planned campus opening spring 2023. The Country Desk model focuses on establishing partnerships with innovation nations from around the world, and I am extremely excited to announce the Cayman Islands and Cayman Enterprise City as our first official partner.”     

The agreement, which was signed on December 2, 2022 at the CEC headquarters in Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island, also creates new opportunities to link the South Florida region to the Cayman Islands and the global network affiliated with CEC including multiple international startups and businesses headquarters on the islands. The Levan Center of Innovation and CEC will develop joint programs and events and share wraparound services. In addition, the CEC’s Launch Labs incubator program will pipeline top startup companies to the Levan Center Innovation’s Founder’s Journey programs (Ideate, Incubate, Accelerate, Post-Accelerate). 

“By partnering with the Levan Center of Innovation, we are able to extend our offerings, better support our community of innovators, and expand our ecosystem beyond our borders,” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of Cayman Enterprise City and director at CEC’s Enterprise Cayman non-profit organization. “This partnership will be a work in progress as we define how to best align our respective ecosystems. We are very excited to get started with this process.” 

CEC’s vision is to develop world-class special economic zones and build a state-of-the-art campus which will attract new knowledge-based industries to the Cayman Islands, the collaboration with the Levan Center of Innovation is a natural next-step to further create a platform for innovation and meaningful opportunities for residents of the Cayman Islands and future generations to come.

The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation): is a public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County. The Levan Center is the world’s first “theme park” for entrepreneurs and supporting stakeholders located in a 54,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Levan Center is focused on three themes (innovation, technology, entrepreneurship) and four pillars known as the Founder’s Journey (Ideate, Incubate, Accelerate, Post-Accelerate). The Levan Center of Innovation serves the NSU and South Florida communities resulting in breakthrough ideation, new technologies, job creation, talent skills pipeline, new company formation, philanthropic initiatives and scaling of early-stage and young startup companies. Each of the four pillars are supported by customized programs, events, and wraparound services. The Levan Center of Innovation is an economic and education development engine for serving South Florida with local, regional, national, and international impact. By powering the innovation ecosystem, the Levan Center of Innovation is a major stakeholder in the establishment of an innovation hub for South Florida. For more information, please visit nova.edu/innovation.