Orlando, Florida

===Industry===

Orlando is a major industrial and [[hi-tech]] center. The metro area has a $13.4&nbsp;billion technology industry employing 53,000 people;{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} and is a nationally recognized cluster of innovation in digital media, agricultural technology, aviation, aerospace, and software design. More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.

Orlando has the 7th-largest research park in the country, [[Central Florida Research Park]], with over {{convert|1025|acre|km2}}. It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation's military simulation and training programs. Near the end of each year, the [[Orange County Convention Center]] hosts the world's largest modeling and simulation conference: [[Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference|Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC)]]. Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

[[Lockheed Martin]] has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high-tech research. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in Metro Orlando: KDF, [[General Dynamics]], [[Harris Corporation|Harris]], [[Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi Power Systems]], [[Siemens]], [[Veritas Technologies|Veritas]]/[[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]], multiple [[United States Air Force]] facilities, [[Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division]], [[Delta Connection]] Academy, [[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University]], [[General Electric]], [[Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation]], U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), [[United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command]], [[United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center]], [[AT&T]], [[Boeing]], CAE Systems Flight and Simulation Training, [[Hewlett-Packard]], Institute for Simulation and Training, [[National Center for Simulation]], [[Northrop Grumman]] and [[Raytheon]]. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the [[United States Navy]]. Now the land has been converted into the Baldwin Park development. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the [[Interstate 4]] corridor north of Orlando, especially in [[Maitland, Florida|Maitland]], [[Lake Mary, Florida|Lake Mary]] and [[Heathrow, Florida|Heathrow]].

Orlando is close enough to [[Patrick Space Force Base]], [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station]], and [[Kennedy Space Center]] for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to [[Port Canaveral]], a [[cruise ship]] terminal.

Orlando is the home base of [[Darden Restaurants]], the parent company of [[Olive Garden]] and [[LongHorn Steakhouse]], and the largest operator of casual dining restaurants in the world by revenue. In September 2009 it moved to a new headquarters and central distribution facility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-darden-headquarters-orlando-opens-092609,0,4594693.story |title=Darden headquarters to open Wednesday in Orlando |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=September 26, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211231926/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-darden-headquarters-orlando-opens-092609,0,4594693.story |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Former Darden Restaurants subsidiary [[Red Lobster]] is based in [[Downtown Orlando]].