Category: Research

The Importance of Water Reliability to San Diego’s Economy

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

Reliable water infrastructure is an investment to the regional economy. Clean, reliable water supplies provide numerous economic benefits to San Diego County. Direct investments in water infrastructure, such as the construction of pipelines, dams, or treatment plants, ripple throughout the entire economy by creating new jobs, expanding business opportunities, and fostering economic competitiveness. This economic impact analysis evaluates how water infrastructure investments – developed by the San Diego County Water Authority – over the past 20 years have benefitted the region’s economy.

This report was produced with data provided by Bureau of Labor Statistics, EMSI, IMPLAN, San Diego County Water Authority.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Study: Mapping San Diego’s Defense Ecosystem

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

For more than a century, San Diego’s defense cluster has been at the heart of the regional economy. The breadth and depth of defense activity stretches far beyond military bases and naval ships; from telecomm to robotics, aerospace to cybersecurity, San Diego’s defense cluster is the driving force behind the region’s innovation economy. In absence of the defense cluster, it is doubtful San Diego would be the global innovation hub it is today. In 2017, defense-related spending contributed $25.2 billion to the regional economy. More than $9 billion came from defense contracts procured by private firms, making San Diego the second largest recipient of defense procurement dollars nationwide. Today, there are more than 5,600 defense contractors connected to the region’s defense cluster. The overwhelming majority are small businesses in the manufacturing and professional, scientific, and technical service sectors which, together, account for 81 percent of all defense-specific contractor employment.

As a region heavily reliant upon defense spending, uncertainty surrounding the federal defense budget poses a potential threat to the region’s essential network of defense contractors and, more broadly, the regional economy. In order to better understand and support the local defense cluster, a survey of defense contractors in the region was conducted to gauge perceptions of the business climate, with the ultimate goal of informing the development of specific programs designed to enhance the resiliency of local companies.

Read the full report

Community Profile: City of Vista

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

The City of Vista, located along North San Diego County’s 78 Corridor, is home to nearly 102,000 people spread across nearly 30,150 households. While accounting for only 3.1 percent of the San Diego region’s population, Vista is one of the faster growing cities in the region. Since 2010, the City has grown by 8.0 percent – a higher rate than the San Diego region as a whole – earning a spot as the seventh fastest growing city in the region between 2010 and 2016. Looking ahead, the Vista’s population is projected to grow by an additional 2.1 percent – approximately 2,096 people – by 2025.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Imagine San Diego: Amazon HQ2 Proposal

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

San Diego is where California began: The place where the idea and the promise of California came to life. Since then, it has remained a place for pioneers, innovators, risk takers, entrepreneurs and people who change the world. San Diego is a reflection of Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Our world-class UC San Diego computer science program, which graduates more women engineers than any other university in the U.S., shows our passion to learn and be curious. We are thought leaders and are right a lot in embedded devices, unmanned systems, life sciences and machine learning. We move quickly and take bias for action in our burgeoning downtown tech startup scene. And in this proposal, we think big about how housing HQ2 in San Diego would be a game changer for both our region and for Amazon itself.

This proposal & report was produced by San Diego Regional EDC’s research team.

READ THE FULL PROPOSAL

Community Profile: City of San Marcos

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

With a population of 93,300, San Marcos has the smallest yet fastest-growing population along the 78 Corridor. The city’s population has grown by more than 11 percent since 2010, outpacing the other four cities along the 78 Corridor by at least four percent and growing 1.8 times faster than the San Diego region.

READ THE FULL REPORT

 

Study release: San Diego ranks #1 in the US for genomics patents

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Today, EDC released the first-ever economic impact report on San Diego’s genomics industry. “Cracking the Code: the Economic Impact of San Diego’s Genomics Industry” explores the economic factors that have led to the proliferation of San Diego’s genomics industry, analyzes the region’s genomics standing relative to other U.S. regions, and quantifies San Diego’s genomics-related firms, talent pool, venture capital and more.

As the #1 most patent intensive genomics market in the U.S., San Diego is leading the charge in a new era of healthcare. Personalized medicine and technology are taking precedence, with local genomics companies, research institutions and universities at the forefront.

KEY FINDINGS

Leadership: San Diego is poised to continue its leadership in the field of precision medicine. With more than 115 genomics-related firms, San Diego has companies that handle every aspect of the genomics value-chain – from sampling and sequencing (e.g. Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific) to analysis and interpretation (e.g. AltheaDX, Human Longevity, Inc.) to clinical applications (e.g. Celgene, Arcturus Therapeutics), creating a complete ecosystem. Additionally, San Diego conducts the fundamental scientific research, due in part to the concentration of research institutes, that form the basis for many global genomics therapies and interventions.

Capital: While San Diego is home to just one percent of the U.S. population, it received 22 percent – $292 million – of the venture capital funding in genomics in 2016. Continually, San Diego’s numerous nonprofit research institutes command a large share of federal funding (e.g. NIH). In fact, San Diego received $3.2 million federal contract dollars in 2016 – more than any other U.S. region.

Talent: San Diego produces more genomics-ready graduates, relative to the size of its workforce, than any other U.S. region. With nearly 2,000 average genomics-related degrees (biochemistry, cognitive science and bioinformatics) conferred per year, San Diego’s genomics companies benefit from the preparatory work of the region’s top academic institutions. In that vein, it is projected that the local talent pool for key genomics occupations will grow by an additional 10 percent by 2021.

ADDITIONAL KEY FACTS

  • San Diego’s genomics industry has a $5.6 billion annual economic impact, impacting 35,000 jobs in 2016.
  • Among top life sciences U.S. metros, San Diego’s genomics industry ranks #2 overall, #3 in innovation, #2 in talent, and #4 in growth.*
  • From 2014 to 2016, San Diego generated 371 genomics-related patents. Collectively, 28 local firms generated 120 genomics-related patents in 2016.
  • San Diego is 3.1x more concentrated than the U.S. in key genomics occupations.
  • From 2011 to 2016, San Diego’s genomics talent pool grew by 11 percent, far outpacing the national growth rate of 5.1 percent.

*The genomics scorecard was calculated using a weighted ranking system divided into three categories approximating the genomics ecosystem: innovation, talent, and growth.

EDC’s study was underwritten by Illumina, and sponsored by Alexandria Real Estate, Barney & Barney, Biocom, Eastridge Workforce Solutions, Human Longevity, Inc., Latham & Watkins, Thermo Fisher Scientific and UC San Diego. Additional research support was provided by CBRE.

Read the executive summary here

Cracking the Code: The Economic Impact of San Diego’s Genomics Industry

By EDC Research,

Summary

The region has provided the fundamental genomic research that has galvanized scientific discovery across the globe. As we enter into an era of personalized medicine and technology, San Diego’s companies, research institutes, and  universities will continue to pioneer discoveries across the interdisciplinary field of genomics.

READ THE FULL PRINTED REPORT

Study: One in five tech firms in SD County is located along the 78 Corridor

By San Diego Regional EDC,

The technology cluster along the San Diego region’s 78 Corridor spans 70 different industries and 200 unique occupations. Encompassing the North County cities Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista, this well-established and diverse tech cluster is expected to grow by 5 percent over the next five years, according to a study released by Innovate78 today.

Study highlights include:

  • The 78 Corridor’s tech cluster has a $6.1 billion total economic impact annually, representing nearly 25,000 jobs.
  • North County’s technology cluster has a competitive advantage in precision manufacturing – specializing in the production of biomedical devices, telecommunications equipment and defense-related products.
  • The 78 Corridor’s tech cluster is 1.4 times more concentrated than the nation.
  • Biotech and biomed devices has been the fastest growing segment in the tech cluster, with a 9 percent increase in employment since 2011.

Read the full study here.

Tech: A look at the San Diego Region’s 78 Corridor

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Summary

The 78 Corridor includes the cities of Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, and Vista. With a population totaling 630,000, the Corridor is home to nearly one-fifth of residents in the San Diego Region. Employment along the Corridor exceeds 290,000 jobs – roughly 19 percent of the regional total – and annual gross regional product (GRP) surpasses $36 billion, making the 78 Corridor a major player in the regional economy. Moreover, North County has emerged as a leader of technological innovation; with over 850 total tech firms – a concentration nearly 42% above the national average – the 78 Corridor’s diverse and well-established tech cluster has seen steady growth in recent years. Contributing more than $6.1 billion annually and directly employing nearly 25,000 people, tech along the Corridor is a major engine of economic growth within the region.

Innovate78 is a marketing and economic development initiative led by five North County San Diego cities – Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, and Vista . Along the 78 Corridor, elected leaders, city staff, businesses, and
educational institutions are working to leverage the area’s collective strengths and assets – speaking with one voice to retain, expand, and attract talent, companies, and investment.

READ THE FULL INDUSTRY PROFILE