Category: News

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 13, 2023

By Bree Burris,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 13, 2023, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

Case Study: Access Trax turns $10K into export growth with MetroConnect

With increasing global interest in its portable accessibility products, San Diego woman-owned business Access Trax needed help finding economic incentives to expand into foreign markets. Learn how it leveraged the World Trade Center San Diego export accelerator MetroConnect and all of its accompanying resources to access international customers, enjoying its highest grossing year.

Read More

Business information and resources page

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 6, 2023

By Bree Burris,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 6, 2023, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

EDC’s Top 10 in 2022

On the heels of the pandemic and a return to ‘normal’ that will never feel quite normal again, EDC’s Top 10 in 2022 includes a new board chair, team and board members, and increased commitments to the Inclusive Growth goals we set for 2030.

Read Our Year in Review

Business information and resources page

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Year 2022

By San Diego Regional EDC,

As with every week, EDC’s ‘Good News’ sifts through the noise and provides a roundup of the positive headlines made by businesses, entrepreneurs, and others across the San Diego region. With 2022 nearly behind us, this edition serves to spotlight the biggest stories of a year marked by ‘normalcy’—a return to in-person gatherings, world travel, VC cooldown, and more.

Here’s San Diego’s Good News of the Year:

Investing in innovation

Venture capital and other investments into the region were strong, with sustained emphasis on Life Sciences and Technology innovation. Some 2022 standouts:

Going global, again

San Diego travel came back with a bang, with 18.4M travelers through San Diego International Airport (SAN) as of October, and greater connectivity to and investment from key international markets. Global news of the year:

Build back better, literally

While remote and hybrid work prove they’re here to stay, San Diego real estate expansion and investment marched on. Developments worth noting:

Local education systems score rightful kudos

The driving force behind our region’s talent pipeline, San Diego colleges and universities are globally renowned—scoring funding, top accolades, and record enrollment rates. The education wins of 2022:

#LFGSD

San Diego knocked it out of the park this year, earning top spots in live, work, play rankings and staking its rightful claim as a ‘sports town.’ A few of the many we’re proud of in 2022:

EDC’s own good news

Top 10 in 2022
San Diego’s good news is EDC’s good news. With and through our investors, our year in review includes a new board chair, increased commitments to Inclusive Growth, a fresh brand in a new home, and much more. See it all in EDC’s Top 10 in 2022.

EDC’s Top 10 in 2022

By San Diego Regional EDC,

The year has come and gone in a flash, but as always, we must take a moment to acknowledge all we accomplished with and through EDC’s 200 investors. On the heels of the pandemic and a return to ‘normal’ that will never feel quite normal again, EDC’s Top 10 in 2022 included a new board chair, team and board members, and increased commitments to the Inclusive Growth goals we set for 2030. See it all in our year in review below:

  1. Supported 165 companies across the region.
    With a suite of services from talent pipeline development to site selection, permitting, and export consulting, EDC’s core economic development work supported 9,906 jobs in 2022. Key wins include Element Biosciences’ expansion and creation of 280 local jobs, Rady Children’s Hospital hiring six former interns following involvement in the Advancing San Diego program, and support of ASML’s application for $14 million in Cal Competes incentives to generate more than 600 quality jobs, among others.
  1. Welcomed Jennie Brooks as board chair.
    A longtime board member and a senior leader at a major consulting and technology employer in San Diego, Jennie Brooks took the gavel in June for her two year term as Chair. She is flanked by four officers: Vice Chair, Rob Douglas, President & COO, ResMed; Vice Chair of Inclusive Growth, Lisette Islas, EVP & Chief Impact Officer, MAAC; Treasurer, Tom Seidler, SVP Community & Military Affairs, San Diego Padres; and Secretary, Barbara Wight, CFO, Taylor Guitars.
  1. Rallied commitments to Inclusive Growth.
    City, County, and private sector leaders pledged their public commitments to the region’s Inclusive Growth goals, increasing the number of skilled talent, quality jobs, and thriving households critical to San Diego’s competitiveness and resilience. As part of the forum, EDC shared the region’s progress against the 2030 goals in a new report.
  1. Led talent strategies to develop and attract talent.
    To build a diverse regional workforce and meet industry demand, EDC continued to lead its Advancing San Diego (ASD) and San Diego: Life. Changing. (SDLC) talent programs. Specifically, ASD recognized five training programs for their work in preparing San Diegans for entry-level lab technician roles and placed 45 interns at 23 companies where they worked nearly 7,150 hours. EDC also played a major role in the Southern Border’s successful proposal for $18 million from the state of CA over the next four years to develop and strengthen career pathways. Further, SDLC developed new tools to assist employers in telling San Diego’s innovation story, including a brand anthem on the region’s Life Sciences cluster, a company spotlight on Element Biosciences, and accompanying ad campaigns.
  1. Welcomed new cohort to MetroConnect VI.
    EDC’s international affiliate World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD) welcomed a sixth cohort to its export accelerator program MetroConnect. Underwritten by JPMorgan Chase and Procopio, WTCSD awarded 15 local, small and mid-sized businesses with financial and consultative resources to help them go global. Cohort companies include Nano PharmaSolutions, Trabus Technologies, and more.
  1. Supported international exports for small businesses.
    Small businesses are the backbone of the regional economy, made stronger by their access to global markets. In support, WTCSD’s Export SBDC directly helped nearly 40 local and international firms with expansion in San Diego, in addition to supplying 452 hours of counseling and hosting 13 workshops.
  1. Led Mayoral trade mission to the Netherlands.
    Together with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and 30 business and civic leaders, WTCSD led its first trade mission since 2019. For three whirlwind days across the Netherlands, the delegation explored best practices in urban mobility, infrastructure development and circularity, engineering for City solutions, and more. Key programs were hosted at Qualcomm’s AI Research Lab, ASML’s Veldhoven headquarters, the Port of Rotterdam, Leiden Bio Science Park, and many more.

WTCSD ANNUAL REPORT

  1. Informed regional stakeholders using data.
    EDC’s Research Bureau launched several reports and analyses to inform regional decision makers including:

    • “Diagnosing the Future: AI and San Diego’s Life Sciences Cluster,” which quantified the economic impact of the region’s Life Sciences cluster and explored the proliferation of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies being used to diagnose disease and develop drugs, among other lifesaving products and solutions.
    • The Downtown Demographics Study on behalf of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, which provided new data on the residential and workforce populations of the city’s urban core, identified areas for growth, opportunities for investment and advocacy, as well as a benchmark for the impacts of COVID-19.
    • Other ongoing economic analyses including the Quarterly Economic Snapshot.
  1. Celebrated coming together again.
    With two years of events missed and the words ‘COVID’ and ‘pandemic’ now common nomenclature, EDC was excited to come together again with investors and partners to celebrate the resilience of our community and those making the most significant impacts during the pandemic. EDC welcomed more than 800 attendees at our Annual Dinner at Petco Park, and more than 400 guests at our Summer Bash, among other events. EDC also welcomed new co-chairs for several committees including Dr. Sunny Cooke of MiraCosta College and Kevin Pegels of Illumina to EDC’s Economic Development Committee; Laura Garrett of TaylorMade Golf and Karen Reinhardt of ASML to the HR Forum; and Kim Becker of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority and Rob Douglas of ResMed to the Global Competitiveness Council.
  1. Re-located and re-branded.
    Arguably the most fun of all: This year marked the start of a new chapter in a new home for EDC. As part of our move into UC San Diego’s Park & Market in downtown, EDC debuted a fresh new brand that integrates the vibrancy of our region.

Together with EDC’s nearly 200 investors and you, 2023 will present yet another opportunity to grow talent, quality jobs, and thriving households across the San Diego region. We’re looking forward to it.

Get involved with EDC

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – December 9, 2022

By Bree Burris,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of December 9, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

How AI fuels life sciences breakthroughs in San Diego

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) technology and life sciences companies are accelerating the pace of innovation in biopharmaceuticals, surgical, medical, and wearable devices, and advanced manufacturing. In a new report, underwriter Booz Allen Hamilton and EDC explore how AI-ML is contributing to a new era of life-saving precision medicine.

Read More on SD: Life. Changing.

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – December 2, 2022

By Bree Burris,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of December 2, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

Case Study: Element Biosciences expands with EDC permitting, tax credit, branding support

As Element Biosciences grew, the local biotech startup needed assistance working through numerous permitting challenges, finding economic incentives to support its growth, and establishing its employer brand with top STEM talent. Learn how EDC’s services helped them create 280 jobs in San Diego.

Read More

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – November 18, 2022

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of November 18, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

San Diego’s Economic Snapshot: Q3 2022

Every quarter, EDC analyzes key economic indicators that are important to understanding the regional economy through trends in employment, housing, and investment. In Q3 2022, San Diego recovered pandemic-related job losses overall, while VC funding cooled down.

Read More

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – November 11, 2022

By Kyle Winnick,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of November 11, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

EDC Monthly Report

With and through nearly 200 investors, EDC works to maximize San Diego’s prosperity. From moving into our new home at UC San Diego Park & Market to releasing our fourth study on AI with underwriter Booz Allen Hamilton, here’s what EDC accomplished in October.

Read More

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

A note from Mark…

By Mark Cafferty,

Gratitude abounds.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I am struck by just how fast the past year has gone by. While the last few years have made it easy (and more than justified) to lament so much of what we have all been through—and what so many people are still going through—I want to use the inspiration of the month to give thanks.

The EDC team just recently moved into our new offices on the fourth floor of UC San Diego Park & Market in Downtown San Diego. And when you go through a big office move after being in the same place for more than a decade, you find a few reminders of what has made the work so important and special over the years. Through thank you notes from past colleagues, to small gifts and tokens from trade missions and visiting delegations, to photographs of different generations of team members, investors, and partners, the memories come rushing back.

Work, I have always found, can be as important to who we are and who we become as family, friends, education, environment, and the many other factors that help shape our lives. As colleagues, co-workers, supervisors, leaders, and partners, we not only have an opportunity to contribute to organizations, missions, and/or visions that matter to us, we have the opportunity to contribute to the lives of those we cross paths with every day.

As I looked through the thank you, farewell, and congratulations notes I have received (and saved) over the years, I started to recognize a pretty obvious trend: In my 30 years in the workforce, what has mattered the most to others hasn’t been the successes, failures, promotions, achievements, innovations, or inspirations that can often be associated with management and leadership positions and organizational successes. It has been the way we treat each other during the simplest or most challenging of times that matters the most. Almost more than words can express.

To everyone who has played a role in making my days better over the last 10 years at EDC and the last 20 years in San Diego, I am so thankful for your presence in my work and in my life. In the days we have left in 2022, let’s try to take some time to reach out to those who matter most to us and tell them why. Just an e-mail, a voicemail, or a few kind spoken or written words can become such an important treasure to someone around you, that they just might still have them sitting nearby in their (new) office decades later.

Below are some of the ways you can engage with the EDC team and our work in the coming weeks. We’re thankful as always for your investment, partnership, and support that makes it all possible…

Best,

Mark Cafferty
Mark Cafferty

President & CEO

Read EDC’s Monthly Report

Need tech talent? Attend Advancing San Diego’s upcoming events to strengthen your local talent pipeline:

Plus, join World Trade Center San Diego to grow your international sales:

For the latest on EDC, visit our events and news page to stay engaged.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – November 4, 2022

By Kyle Winnick,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of November 4, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some events and opportunities:

Preferred Provider Meet & Greet: Cybersecurity & IT

On November 9, join EDC at UC Park & Market to connect with the faculty members who are preparing San Diego’s entry-level workforce, learn more about top local education programs’ curriculum and approach, and strengthen your IT and cybersecurity talent pipeline.

Register Here

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.