Tony Gannon serves as Space Florida’s Vice President, Research & Innovation. In this role, he generates and leads Space Florida’s research and innovation initiatives as well as identifies viable alternative methodologies for incorporation into commercialization and business development efforts. He is responsible for initiating business development opportunities and partnerships that capture expansion activities to increase Florida’s aerospace industry market share.
Having worked with Space Florida since the organization’s inception, Tony’s past projects and activities include the Space Florida Academy, Space Florida Internship Program, NASA-Florida Space Grant Consortium, Sub-Orbital Flight Incentive Program and the International Space Station (ISS) Research Competition. The latter program provided unique microgravity research opportunities for seven universities and U.S. research entities on board the ISS.
He leads Space Florida’s capital generation programs and acceleration events to stimulate start-ups’, early-stage and growth stage companies and assist the formation of a vibrant capital formation ecosystem across the State of Florida.
Under his directive, he additionally leads Space Florida’s international, research and innovation programs. The Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership, now in its 5th Call for Projects (2018), supports research and development initiatives as well as commercialization efforts of aerospace and related technical projects.
Tony additionally works to gather economic data, specifically Space Florida’s Aerospace & Aviation Industry Analyses as it relates to Florida’s growing aerospace industry.
Hailing from Ireland, Tony formally worked with Ireland’s Department of Finance and later as Manager of Education at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin, Ireland and a Diploma in Economics from the (former) Dublin School of Commerce.