Military installations and the warfighter. Universities and talent. Primes and sub-primes. Startups and entrepreneurs. No region has more of a right to win than San Diego—or a better shot at advancing the technology and investment necessary for critical missions. Together, it’s time to clear barriers and create pathways for tomorrow’s companies to scale.
Build the pathways that allow companies to test technologies, navigate the defense market, reach customers, and move promising innovations toward deployment.
San Diego Proving Grounds
The goal:
Establish San Diego as the premier region for developing, testing, and deploying transformative defense technologies through a coordinated network of accessible testing environments.
Why now?
As federal defense priorities emphasize faster technology demonstration and deployment, San Diego companies need streamlined local access to flexible, appropriately-scaled environments to rapidly test, iterate, validate, and demonstrate next-generation defense technologies. This would complement existing military testing infrastructure by developing new testing opportunities and creating clearer access pathways.
Online now:
Chula Vista UAV Testing Grounds: A reactivation of the Chula Vista Drone Testing Grounds allows testing for unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), autonomy, sensors, and related technologies. In September 2026, REACH Defense and Chula Vista entered a long-term agreement to activate a portion of the drone testing site. Get involved →
Future deployments:
Expanded Maritime Testing Access: Expand opportunities for companies to test and validate maritime technologies by connecting existing waterfront facilities, infrastructure, and operational environments through clearer access pathways.
Regional Testing Inventory and Access Tool: Establish a centralized platform connecting companies to San Diego’s testing environments, capabilities, and partners, streamlining access and accelerating the development, validation, and deployment of emerging technologies.
Defense Innovation Hub
The goal:
Create stronger launch and landing platforms for defense and dual-use companies, connecting them with military end users, primes, investors, universities, and resources.
Why now?
As federal defense priorities shift toward faster adoption of emerging technologies and greater engagement with nontraditional suppliers, San Diego has an opportunity to mobilize its significant research, industry, and military assets to meet evolving defense needs. Stronger connections across the regional ecosystem can help more companies enter the defense market, access critical resources, and bring innovations to deployment.
Online now:
The FORGE: UC San Diego’s defense and national security initiative helps innovators navigate the path from lab to mission through market navigation, customer connections, SBIR/STTR support, and more. Get involved →
SDSU National Security Hub: SDSU’s Hub will support startups with advanced manufacturing and prototyping resources, investment opportunities, and workforce development. Get involved →
Advance Biodefense
The goal:
Connect San Diego’s top three life sciences industry with defense needs, customers, and funding opportunities to ensure industry resilience and drive growth.
Why now?
San Diego has globally significant strengths in both life sciences and defense, but the two largely operate in parallel. By better connecting research institutions, life sciences companies, military medical assets, and defense health customers, the region can unlock new opportunities in areas such as human performance, medical readiness, and biomanufacturing.
A coordinated approach can help identify where regional capabilities align with federal demand and create clearer pathways for companies to access defense health funding, partnerships, and customers.
Future deployments:
San Diego Biodefense Consortium: Proactively build San Diego’s biodefense ecosystem by identifying market opportunities, developing industry capabilities, attracting investment, and positioning the region as a leader in defense health innovation.
Capture job growth as companies move from R&D to production.
Ready to Deploy Sites
The goal:
Create a predictable, coordinated process for identifying and preparing physical sites that can accommodate defense and advanced-manufacturing companies.
Why now?
High costs, limited industrial space, and a complex regulatory environment make it difficult for defense and defense-adjacent companies to scale in San Diego. As other states create incentives to attract defense technology companies, San Diego must create more predictable and timely pathways, making it easy for companies to choose to remain and expand in the region.
Future deployments:
Ready to Deploy Sites:Prepare a portfolio of manufacturing-ready sites for defense and dual-use production, working with local jurisdictions to shorten the path from expansion decision to production.
Maritime Modernization
The goal:
Connect shipbuilders, ship repairers, manufacturers, and suppliers with the research, technology, workforce, and technical assistance needed to modernize operations and compete for future contracts.
Why now?
Advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, automation, additive manufacturing, and other technologies are transforming how maritime and ship systems are designed, produced, maintained, and operated. While these technologies can increase productivity and capacity, smaller suppliers may need technical assistance, talent, capital, and access to adoption.
Online now:
California Shipbuilding Ecosystems Alliance (CalSEA): East County EDC’s CalSEA brings together industry, government, academia, and workforce partners to help small and mid-sized manufacturers adopt new technologies, develop their workforce, expand production, and connect with Navy opportunities. Get involved →
COMPASS Advanced Maritime Center: A partnership between San Diego State University, Samsung Heavy Industries, General Dynamics NASSCO, and the Port of San Diego, the Advanced Maritime Center advances shipbuilding innovation, applied research, and workforce development.
Amplify San Diego’s collective voice and communicate our strengths to help businesses effectively compete for investment, talent, and contracts.
San Diego Defense Council
The goal:
Coordinate industry, government, military, and academic leaders and resources to turn regional defense innovation priorities into action.
Why now?
As federal spending increases and defense innovation activity accelerates, San Diego’s growing network of companies, military stakeholders, research institutions, and industry partners must be better connected to respond to emerging opportunities. Stronger regional coordination is essential to align efforts, advance shared priorities, and translate the region’s defense innovation strengths into investment and growth.
Online now:
San Diego Defense Council: EDC and San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) launched the San Diego Defense Council to advance priority projects, bolster San Diego’s national visibility, and strengthen regional advocacy. Get involved →
Strategic Regional Advocacy
The goal:
Align regional leaders around a focused state and federal education agenda that advances San Diego’s defense and dual-use priorities.
Why now?
As significant federal and private investment flows into defense innovation, San Diego must organize around specific policy, infrastructure, investment, workforce, testing, and other needs to compete for resources and influence decisions that shape the sector’s growth. A coordinated regional voice can help advance these priorities and ensure local companies capture the benefits of commercialization and scale.
Now online:
Statewide Defense Advocacy Coordination: Working with defense and economic development partners across California to develop bottom-up, statewide strategy that identifies shared priorities and informs state investment and policy decisions.
Future deployments:
New Administration Engagement Initiative: Engage California’s incoming gubernatorial administration to elevate San Diego’s defense innovation priorities, establish relationships with key state leaders, and identify opportunities to align state policies, investments, and resources with regional implementation efforts.
Market San Diego’s Assets
The goal:
Elevate San Diego’s national profile as a leading center for defense innovation, production, and dual-use technology.
Why now?
As regions across the country increasingly compete to attract defense companies, investment, and talent, San Diego must more deliberately communicate the strengths of its defense innovation economy. Despite its significant capabilities, the region remains better known for its military presence than for the technologies, companies, and research driving its defense industry forward. A stronger, unified brand can help elevate San Diego’s national visibility and attract new opportunities.
Future deployments:
Invest in San Diego experiences: Create curated experiences alongside major defense industry events, connecting investors, companies, and policymakers with San Diego’s defense innovation ecosystem through site visits, technology demonstrations, and executive engagement.
San Diego UMS Maritime Gauntlet: Establish a flagship, challenge-based demonstration event that attracts autonomous maritime companies from across the country to showcase their technologies in realistic operating conditions, engage directly with military and maritime users, and elevate San Diego’s visibility as a leading maritime innovation hub.
