Tag: WTCSD Q4 2024

World Trade Center San Diego’s 2024 Annual Report

By World Trade Center San Diego,

World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), the international affiliate of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the regional leader on trade and investment, cultivates a pipeline of export-ready firms, maximizes foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities, and enhances San Diego’s global identity. In WTCSD’s 2024 Annual Report, see how we helped San Diego companies participate in a globally connected economy to create quality local jobs, and make the San Diego region more prosperous, competitive, and resilient.

WTCSD’S CORE PILLARS

  • Exports: Supporting exporters creates quality jobs and builds resiliency in small businesses. WTCSD grows regional exports by facilitating sustainable connections to customers and markets for local firms.
  • Investment: Foreign investment strengthens competitive industry clusters and enables the expansion of local companies. WTCSD assists investing companies and supports international air service expansion.
  • Global Identity: A strong global reputation for innovation makes the region more competitive and connected. WTCSD communicates the impact of global trends on the regional economy and stewards relationships with the markets that matter most for growth.

Exports

Priority: As the region’s Export Specialty Small Business Development Center (SBDC), WTCSD cultivates a pipeline of export-ready firms, and supports these companies in their efforts to grow in international markets.

  • WTCSD kicked off its seventh MetroConnect cohort, awarding 15 San Diego companies in tech, life sciences, and consumer goods $175,000 in grants and equipping them with translation software and workshops to access international markets.

  • Export SBDC at WTCSD supported 120 companies via one-on-one counseling and webinars, including helping San Diego companies win $39,476 in STEP funding for export activities.

Investment

Priority: Maximize foreign investment opportunities for the region by building and institutionalizing linkages with strategic markets abroad, as well as better leveraging local companies, partners, and assets.

  • Following WTCSD’s 2022 Netherlands trade mission, San Diego International Airport and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced a new direct flight between San Diego and Amsterdam, with thrice-weekly service starting May 2025.

  • WTCSD capitalized on the influx of foreign life sciences companies visiting San Diego during the 2024 BIO Convention by hosting an Invest in San Diego breakfast, with more than 100 global attendees heard remarks from Mayor Todd Gloria, WTCSD’s Executive Director Nikia Clarke, and leaders from Neurocrine, Avidity, Eli Lilly, and Element Biosciences.

Global Identity

Priority: Enhance the San Diego region’s reputation and visibility to underpin investment retention and attraction efforts, as well as global connectivity goals.

  • Representative Scott Peters, Councilmember Raul Campillo, and WTCSD led 2024’s trade mission to Singapore. The binational delegation of business and civic leaders promoted San Diego’s key industries, established and strengthened business relationships across biotechnology, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, and urban infrastructure.

  • Following WTCSD’s 2023 trade mission to South Korea, Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong-yeon Kim visited San Diego as part of a weeklong tour of California, where he toured UC San Diego, Illumina, Biocom, and threw out the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game. WTCSD supported the Korean government’s efforts to arrange a meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom. 

READ THE FULL WTCSD 2024 ANNUAL REPORT →

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WTCSD’s Q4 Global Brief: International flight, Singapore trade mission, and more

By Sophia Antonopoulos,

Each quarter, World Trade Center San Diego delivers the latest global news and updates straight to your inbox.

In Q4 2024, here’s what you need to know about San Diego’s global trade, investment, and engagement. ➝ Get WTCSD’s Global Brief each quarter.

Rep. Scott Peters leads trade mission to Singapore

To foster vital global economic partnerships, Representative Scott Peters and San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo led a binational delegation of private, civic, and education leaders on WTCSD’s 2024 trade mission to Singapore. A similarly binational region with shared expertise in strategic technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing, Singapore is a highly-developed trade hub—and a natural partner for San Diego companies expanding globally.
➝ Read More

Reflections on our 2024 trade mission by Dr. Nikia Clarke

During WTCSD’s Singapore trade mission, delegates spotlighted major regional projects to potential global investors, learned about ResMed and Illumina’s Singapore presence, and explored opportunities to better connect and partner. And though our days in market get most of the attention, WTCSD’s Executive Director Dr. Nikia Clarke shares, the work that follows our trade missions is just as important—when deals get inked, investments and expansions are confirmed, and partnerships deepen, such as San Diego’s new direct flight to Amsterdam following our 2022 Netherlands trade mission.
➝ Read More

WTCSD in 2024: New international flight, export growth, and global connections

WTCSD cultivates a pipeline of export-ready firms, maximizes foreign direct investment opportunities, and enhances San Diego’s global identity. From growing exports through MetroConnect to leading a regional trade mission to Singapore, learn how we supported 120 companies with and through our partners in 2024.
➝ Read our Annual Report

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Grow your company in san diego ↓

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies—free of charge—to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego.

  • Export Specialty Center: For small companies interested in learning about exporting and international growth.
  • MetroConnect: For small and medium-sized companies ready to export and grow internationally.

➝ Get WTCSD’s Global Brief delivered straight to your inbox.

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From one global gateway to another: Reflections on our 2024 trade mission to Singapore

By Nikia Clarke,

San Diego to Singapore 2024

As we depart Singapore on the heels of World Trade Center San Diego’s seventh international trade mission, it is with a tremendous amount of gratitude for the broad coalition of San Diego leadership that joins us year after year all over the globe to deepen existing partnerships, explore new opportunities, and enthusiastically showcase the breadth and depth of the region’s economy.

Led this year by Congressman Scott Peters—his fourth time at the helm for WTCSD—the 2024 delegation included leadership from the Port, Airport and City of San Diego, UC San Diego and San Diego State University, large global employers like Qualcomm, Illumina, Cubic, ResMed, Austal, and Mitsubishi Electric, as well as small, high-growth innovators like Biolinq and Visaic, tourism powerhouses like the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and ecosystem partners from across the binational region like Connect, the Chamber, the Tourism Authority, Tijuana EDC, and the Prebys Foundation.

This year we headed for another innovative, binational region by the sea, which is also the world’s premier gateway to Asia: Singapore. In a moment for the global economy characterized by geopolitical uncertainty, rapidly shifting supply chains in advanced industries, and climate action and energy transition, this city state of only six million people is partnering with industry to create solutions for today’s challenges.

  • Despite being a high-cost destination with limited land and natural resources, advanced manufacturing makes up 20 percent of Singapore’s GDP—almost double San Diego’s numbers—due to world-class vertical manufacturing facilities co-designed by the government and companies including San Diego firms Illumina and ResMed.
  • Nearly 400,000 people cross into Singapore from Malaysia to work every day—almost double the volume of our busy border with Tijuana—and the border authority is piloting new, fully automated clearance technology to increase efficiency as well as partnering with Malaysia on a new rapid transit system that will open in 2026.
  • From rooftop greenery and food production, water desalination and underground cooling systems, to engineering the bayfront to naturally protect the city from future sea level rise, Singapore’s intentional regional planning efforts have created a city that is simultaneously one of the densest in the world as well as one of the smartest and one of the greenest.

Our goals for these trade missions are threefold:

    1. To facilitate transactional wins that bring jobs and investment to San Diego.
    1. To enable best practice sharing to help us address our biggest regional challenges.
    1. To share San Diego’s innovation story in a market that matters for our economic future.

Over a whirlwind three days filled with more than 15 meetings and events, our delegation hit all of these goals and then some.

Jobs and investment:

  • We held our Spotlight on San Diego event, in which 70 Singaporean investors and business leaders interested in investing in California heard from our delegates about big projects and opportunities in both San Diego and Tijuana in life sciences, strategic technology, and SDSU’s innovation district.
  • Small, high-growth San Diego companies pitched to Singapore’s institutional investment firm that funds innovation worldwide.
  • Port of San Diego called on a number of shipping companies in order to attract more liner service to San Diego.
  • MELIC Ventures—the venture arm of Mitsubishi Electric—established a proof-of-concept agreement with a maritime drone company. 

Partnerships:

  • San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Group exchanged knowledge on strategic planning and critical global wildlife conservation, all financed by visitor income.
  • The Port authorities of San Diego and Singapore began discussions on an MOU focused on green and sustainable shipping corridors.
  • The City of San Diego explored housing policy and infrastructure with the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, and the developer firms that partner together to house every Singaporean.
  • UC San Diego and National University Singapore deepened a recent MOU on digital health, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship with plans to establish a soft landing exchange for entrepreneurs.

Global identity:

  • We met with Singaporean leadership from the Deputy Prime Minister, the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, A*Star and dozens of others in order to share what makes San Diego so special.
  • Companies with big Singapore operations—like Illumina, ResMed, and Qualcomm—shared their successes and reminded our hosts that they represent San Diego technology and innovation.
  • Our final reception—held at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador per WTCSD trade mission tradition—brought together 100 partners and stakeholders from across the region to cement bonds and celebrate a productive and successful week.

As is always the case with our trade missions, the nonstop few days in the market get most of the attention. However, the bulk of the work happens in the months before—when the WTCSD team works diligently with and through so many of you to identify opportunities and priorities—and even more importantly in those that follow—when deals get inked, investments and expansions are confirmed, and partnerships deepen.

So, as we return home to San Diego—where the sun is shining and the Padres are in the playoffs—we thank our delegates again for taking the time from very busy calendars to travel with us and represent San Diego. And we also invite all of you to watch this space closely in the weeks and months ahead, because we are just getting started.

EXPLORE OUR TRADE MISSIONS →

Nikia Clarke
Nikia Clarke

Senior Vice President; Executive Director, World Trade Center San Diego

Rep. Peters, WTCSD to lead Singapore trade mission to strengthen economic ties in Asia

By Bree Burris,

WORLD TRADE CENTER SAN DIEGO CONVENES REGIONAL LEADERS TO HELP BUSINESSES IN SAN DIEGO MEGA-REGION EXPAND GLOBALLY, CREATE LOCAL JOBS

In order to foster vital global economic partnerships, Congressman Scott Peters, San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo, and World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), the international arm of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC), are leading the 2024 trade delegation to Singapore. During the September 30—October 4 trade mission, business and civic leaders will promote the region’s key industries and seek to establish and strengthen business relationships across biotechnology, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, and urban infrastructure.

A generational shift in U.S. industrial strategy aimed at reducing reliance on China, coupled with federal legislation like the Chips and Science and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts, position Singapore as a natural partner in advanced industries. As national governments continue to incentivize the reshoring and nearshoring of activities, gateway regions like Singapore-Malaysia in Asia and San Diego-Tijuana in the Americas are perfectly positioned to take advantage of these global shifts.                                                    

“Singapore’s strategic position and expertise in innovation industries make it an ideal partner for our San Diego-Tijuana binational region,” said Congressman Scott Peters. “This trip with World Trade Center San Diego will help strengthen our global brand, drive investment, and bolster the resilience of our local businesses.”

Home to the world’s busiest transshipment port and border crossing, Singapore is a highly developed center for global trade and a hub for U.S. companies conducting business in Asia. Situated in one of the most strategically important locations on the planet, the city-state boasts a free and business-friendly economy with low corruption, low tax rates, a skilled workforce, and world-class infrastructure.

As the U.S. strengthens its alliances in Southeast Asia, San Diego finds in Singapore an economy with shared expertise in knowledge-intensive industries, including artificial intelligence, medical device manufacturing, and information communications technology. Singapore boasts satellite operations for some of San Diego’s premier innovators including Qualcomm, ResMed, and Illumina. Further, Singapore has poured $12.8 billion in FDI into the U.S. since 2019 in industries such as manufacturing, information communications technology, and energy. The U.S. has matched that amount, investing $12.5 billion during the same time period. Looking closer, Singapore is the #10 country investing venture capital into San Diego by deal count, just behind Denmark and India (2014—2020), primarily in the medical equipment and technology industries. Singapore also shares in San Diego’s binational identity, with Singapore-Johor seeing nearly 1.6x the number of border crossings per day compared to San Diego-Tijuana’s border (450,000 and 283,000, respectively).

“Guided by data and shifting geopolitics, each year WTCSD leads a trade mission to a strategic international metro. For 2024, Singapore was a standout choice for our delegation of public-private leaders,” said Nikia Clarke, executive director of World Trade Center San Diego and senior vice president at San Diego Regional EDC. “As gateway regions, Singapore-Malaysia in Asia and San Diego-Tijuana in the Americas will anchor the critical supply chains of the future. We’re here to deepen international ties and maximize our economic impact.”

Over the four-day trade mission across Singapore, San Diego will look to build lasting institutional relationships and attract foreign investment in industries critical to the future.

Agenda items include:

  • The celebration of a recent partnership between UC San Diego and National University Singapore, as well the exploration of new opportunities around soft-landing space with Singapore commercial real estate developer CapitaLand
  • Opportunities to showcase San Diego-Tijuana and major regional development projects for foreign investors, including innovation developments by San Diego State University and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
  • Local, small- to mid-sized businesses Biolinq and Visaic will pitch to global investment firm Temasek
  • Meetings with Port, Airport, Border, and infrastructure partners to better connect our regions through nonstop air and liner service, as well as sharing energy transition and urban development innovations
  • Government convenings with Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Gan Kim Yong and other dignitaries
  • Formal meetings and tours of major employers in both regions, including Illumina, ResMed, as well as the Mandai Wildlife Group—a peer of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Delegates will participate in upwards of 15 meetings over the course of the trade mission, sharing best practices and driving business connectivity across many verticals. The two dozen San Diego delegates include representatives from Cubic, Mitsubishi Electric, Qualcomm, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and smaller businesses including Visaic and Biolinq. Also in attendance are delegates from key agencies, academic institutions, and civic organizations such as Port of San Diego, San Diego International Airport, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, MiraCosta College, Tijuana EDC, San Diego Tourism Authority, Connect, and others.

“As San Diego’s Economic Development Chair, I have two key goals: creating high-paying jobs and lowering costs for families in our city,” said San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo. “International trade and partnerships with businesses in Singapore and elsewhere bring advanced technology, high-skill workers, and robust tourism and investment to our local region. This strengthens our economy and delivers benefits like more affordable products that our citizens will see in their day-to-day lives.”

The trade mission is organized by World Trade Center San Diego, the international team at EDC, with assistance and support provided by the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, and sponsorship by Qualcomm, Ambix Ventures, San Diego Tourism Authority, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Learn more about Singapore and San Diego’s connection here, and follow along during the trade mission: #SDinSG. 

WTCSD has previously led trade missions to South Korea, The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Vancouver, and more.

For media queries or other questions, contact:

Bree Burris
Bree Burris

Director, Communications & Community Engagement