Forge Coalition Launches To Position Tampa Bay as Southeast Hub for Radiopharmaceutical Innovation, Training and Production

Forge Coalition Launches To Position Tampa Bay as Southeast Hub for Radiopharmaceutical Innovation, Training and Production

TAMPA, Fla. - A new regional coalition, the Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine, or "FORGE," today announced its launch with a bold vision: to transform Tampa Bay into one of the United States' leading centers for radiopharmaceutical development, manufacturing and precision oncology. The coalition projects that over the next 10 years, an estimated 4,000 high-wage jobs can be created, generating $2.6 billion in economic impact for Florida. The initiative is led by Speros and Moffitt Cancer Center and includes regional partners Embarc Collective, the University of South Florida (USF) and Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC).

"FORGE represents a transformational opportunity to position the Tampa Bay region at the forefront of one of the most promising advances in cancer care," said Josh Carpenter, President of Speros and Chief Integration Officer for Moffitt Cancer Center. "By bringing together these regional partners, we are building the talent, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to accelerate next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies. This level of collaboration has the potential not only to strengthen America's leadership in precision oncology, but to save lives for decades to come."

Radiopharmaceuticals are the next frontier of precision oncology - an emerging class of therapies that fundamentally changes how radiation is delivered to cancer. Unlike traditional radiation, which acts like a broad flashlight and can damage healthy tissue, radiopharmaceutical therapies are designed to precisely find and bind to tumors, delivering targeted radiation at the cellular level and minimizing damage to other healthy parts of the body. Because the isotopes used in these therapies begin to decay immediately, production must occur close to patients in highly controlled, resilient environments, making integrated ecosystems strategically essential to meeting future patient and industry needs.

The effort brings together nationally recognized strengths in cancer care, research, entrepreneurship and workforce education and positions Tampa Bay to evolve from a health care delivery center to a competitive innovation hub - securing domestic supply chain, driving economic growth and creating career pathways that keep Floridians in high-wage, future-focused jobs.

"Florida has an opportunity to become the national model for how economic growth, innovation and quality of life rise together by intentionally building the talent, research and industry ecosystems required for the future," said Mike Simas, President & CEO of the Florida Council of 100. "FORGE reflects the type of collaboration we are advancing through Ambition Accelerated to position Florida as a leader in next-generation health care and life sciences while delivering breakthrough treatments, better outcomes and greater opportunity for Floridians."

As funding and support are secured, FORGE plans to deploy a coordinated set of programs and investments to build a complete radiopharmaceutical ecosystem. This includes a radiopharmaceutical focused incubator, an integrated theranostics center, imaging technologist training programs at PHSC and nuclear pharmacy opportunities at USF. Together, these assets will allow companies to move from discovery to production to clinical use in one location at Speros, dramatically reducing time to market and strengthening America's supply-chain resilience.

Hannah Mae Merten, Executive Director of Strategy for Speros, is leading ecosystem development and partnerships for the FORGE coalition. For more information on radiopharmaceuticals and the FORGE coalition, visit Speros.org.

About Speros
Speros is a 775-acre campus in Pasco County, Florida, designed to accelerate cancer prevention and treatment through strategic industry partnerships and by forging collaborative space for scientific research and clinical care. Anchored by Moffitt Cancer Center, Speros imagines a new frontier for research and development with a mission-driven real estate venture where groundbreaking discoveries become lifesaving treatments. For more information, visit speros.org or follow Speros on LinkedIn.

About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 58 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt's expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet status, its highest distinction. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Embarc Collective
Embarc Collective, a 501c3 non-profit, is a central landing zone for the most driven and focused startup builders in Florida, ranked as a top startup support program in the world by UBI Global. Embarc Collective offers vetted, curated live and on-demand coaching and programming, an ever-growing repository of resources and frameworks, and access to a network of corporate customers and investors, all amongst a peer community of 300 founders and cofounders of 135+ early-stage tech startups and growth companies operating within an award-winning 32,000-square-foot startup hub in downtown Tampa, Florida. Since its launch in 2019, Embarc Collective member-companies have achieved a 96% survival rate, created 1,200+ high-paying tech and tech-enabled jobs, and raised more than $600M in angel, venture and growth equity, including more than half from investors outside the state of Florida. Annually, Embarc Collective's Florida-based early-stage tech companies drive $100 million in direct economic returns to the state of Florida and attract more than $100 million annually in seed, venture, and growth equity investment capital, capital that is invested directly into Florida-based companies.

About University of South Florida
USF Health is dedicated to making life better through research, education and patient care. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group, the largest on Florida's west coast. In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as a Tier 1 medical school for the second consecutive year, placing it among a premier group of 16 medical schools nationally to earn this highest possible designation. U.S. News also ranked the USF College of Public Health and the USF College of Nursing's Master of Science programs as No. 1 in the state. Together with Tampa General Hospital, USF Health forms one of the nation's premier academic health systems, with more than 1,000 physicians and providers caring for more than one million patients each year. USF Health is part of the University of South Florida, a top-ranked research university and member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). USF serves approximately 50,000 students and generates nearly $10 billion in annual economic impact for Florida. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.

About Pasco-Hernando State College
Pasco-Hernando State College serves the educational needs of Pasco and Hernando counties, offering more than 90 career program options in health care, business, aviation, public service, information technology and more, through Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, College Credit Certificate, Career Certificate, Applied Technology Diploma and Apprenticeships. PHSC combines high-tech educational facilities and state-of-the-art programs with a focus on teaching for student success. Students can expect personalized attention, small class sizes, highly credentialed faculty, and tuition and fees that are among the most affordable in the State of Florida. For more information, visit phsc.edu.

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