Sarasota manufacturer takes lead sponsorship for digital hub at aquarium

Sarasota manufacturer Helios Technologies will be the lead sponsor for the new digital hub at the Mote Science Education Aquarium that opened in Sarasota last year.

Officially dubbed the Marine Science & Technology Digital Hub, it will be next to the facility’s STEM teaching labs, according to a statement. The hub, the release adds, will “serve as a cutting-edge satellite library, connecting SEA visitors to Mote’s extensive digital resources through dedicated computer stations.”

These stations provide direct access to Mote’s Cyber Library for Accessible Resources & Knowledge. Known as CLARK, the library is a digital portal housing scientific publications, videos, photographs, educational resources, and archival collections from Dr. Eugenie Clark, Charles M. Breder Jr., Dr. Perry Gilbert and more, the release states. While portions of CLARK are publicly available online, the Digital Hub offers enhanced access to a wider range of resources, including special objects from the library, archival collections, the Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection and highlights from ongoing research programs like the Red Tide Initiative and the Protect Our Reefs specialty license plate program, the release adds.

"The Marine Science & Technology Digital Hub represents a transformative way for our visitors to engage with Mote’s research and history,” Mote Chief Innovation Officer Alex Beavers, says in the release. “We are thrilled to partner with Helios Technologies, whose commitment to technology and environmental responsibility mirrors our own mission of fostering scientific discovery and conservation.”

Helios, with several subsidiaries, is a global leader in highly engineered motion control and electronic controls technology for markets including construction, material handling, agriculture, energy, recreational vehicles, marine and health and wellness. It sells its products to customers in over 90 countries worldwide. The firm, the release states, is “dedicated to supporting sustainable practices and community engagement locally and worldwide. This sponsorship exemplifies Helios’ dedication to leveraging technology for environmental stewardship and educational impact.”

Helios had $839 million in revenue in 2025.