OUR 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
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. In 2025, WTCSD’s export pipeline program supported $10 million in new international sales, a 104 percent increase from 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
44
new San Diego hires
77
new global employees
32
new international contracts
295
jobs impacted
WTCSD on tariffs
As tariff threats loomed, WTCSD published a note from Executive Director Dr. Nikia Clarke on what trade volatility means for our binational region, the future of the USMCA, and the jobs tied to global commerce in San Diego.
WTCSD leadership also presented to key regional leaders on tariffs, including to the County of San Diego on Jan. 29, at Business Beyond Borders Real Estate on Mar. 27, and to the City of Carlsbad on July 29, and to media like Axios San Diego and ABC 10.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
WTCSD works to 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.
FDI BY THE NUMBERS
15
company projects
1.9K
jobs impacted
$5.1B
total FDI
Key FDI projects
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Project Wafer
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Impact Acoustic
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EDAN Diagnostics
Project Wafer
A Singapore-based semiconductor technology company connected with WTCSD through its 2024 Singapore trade mission. With WTCSD’s guidance, the company’s U.S. affiliate successfully expanded its San Diego operations, securing a new site in Carlsbad and receiving two key incentives: The state’s CAEATFA sales and use tax exclusion and SDG&E’s Economic Development Rate. Together, these incentives provided $381,000 in tax savings and a 12 percent discount on electricity at the new site for the next five years, enabling the company to scale its regional manufacturing operations.
As part of the expansion, the company plans to add 10 new high-quality jobs, further strengthening the San Diego semiconductor ecosystem.
Impact Acoustic
A Swiss acoustic technology company, Impact Acoustic engaged with WTCSD as part of its ongoing foreign investment initiatives. After receiving a tailored RFI packet that highlighted San Diego’s advantages, the company decided to establish operations in the region.
After utilizing EDC’s site selection services, the company opened a new office in Otay Mesa. The office is projected to create 25 new high-quality jobs, contributing to San Diego’s growing technology and manufacturing ecosystem.
EDAN Diagnostics
A global medical device company headquartered in Shenzhen, China, EDAN engaged WTCSD in December 2024 to expand its U.S. footprint and scale manufacturing in San Diego. WTCSD supported the company’s visa applications with a letter of intent and later supported EDAN’s ribbon cutting in October 2025 for its new Carlsbad manufacturing facility.
With this site EDAN is investing between $3 and $5 million over the next three years to build U.S.-based manufacturing and logistics capabilities, adding 100 to 120 local jobs. WTCSD’s assistance supported EDAN’s accelerated timeline to become operational within six months.
Route support
WTCSD collaborates with regional businesses and partners to support the development and retention of direct routes to key markets. These route services reflect years of behind-the-scenes work by San Diego International Airport and the Port of San Diego, with WTCSD contributing critical support through data-driven market insights, business community letters of support, and targeted trade missions to international markets.
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Panama
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Netherlands
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Japan
Panama
Copa Airlines launches direct flight to Panama
Over several years, WTCSD, in collaboration with partners including SAN, conducted a targeted letter campaign, provided critical market data to support airline outreach in Latin America, and coordinated company visits to connect airline leadership with San Diego executives. In 2025, WTCSD, alongside SAN and EDC, hosted a Panama delegation in San Diego, enabling Copa Airlines representatives to engage directly with potential business partners such as Qualcomm, the Port of San Diego, and WD-40.
These efforts contributed to the successful launch of San Diego’s new direct flight to Panama, providing increased connectivity to one of California’s top emerging trade partners for more than 500 passengers daily.
Netherlands
KLM commences thrice weekly flights
As a direct result of WTCSD’s 2022 trade mission to the Netherlands, in May 2025, SAN and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched a new direct flight between San Diego and Amsterdam with thrice-weekly service via Boeing 787-9.
Service comprises 275 seats, including 30 business class and 21 premium economy seats. This expansion of nonstop air service will help San Diego continue to strengthen relationships with the Dutch market and provide additional connectivity to other major markets in Europe.
Japan
Japan+1 letter campaign
WTCSD conducted targeted outreach to support the Port of San Diego’s effort to attract a Japan+1 Pilot Service for cargo moving between San Diego and East/Southeast Asia. To advance the proposal, the Port must demonstrate that regional businesses have a clear need for the service and would utilize it if available. To help validate that demand, WTCSD secured 10 letters of support from San Diego firms, which have been submitted as part of the Port’s ongoing efforts.
GLOBAL IDENTITY
WTCSD works to enhance the San Diego region’s reputation and visibility to underpin investment retention and attraction efforts, as well as global connectivity goals.
Rep. Scott Peters, Mayor Todd Gloria, and WTCSD lead business delegation to France
France is a leading source of foreign investment in San Diego, with strengths that align closely with our key industries, including clean energy, life sciences, defense, and tourism. Boasting one of the cleanest energy grids in Europe and producing more than half of the EU’s nuclear energy, France is also home to the ITER fusion energy project—the largest international scientific collaboration in the world. These shared priorities naturally position San Diego and France as ideal partners.
For four days in September 2025, Representative Scott Peters, Mayor Todd Gloria, and WTCSD led a delegation of 30+ senior leaders to bolster public-private relationships with French partners and create opportunities for high-growth small and medium-sized San Diego businesses looking to expand into Europe.
Highlights from the trip included:
- Spotlight on San Diego: 35 French companies attended this private event, which spotlighted San Diego’s economy, the SDSU Innovation District, UC San Diego Science Research Park, Chula Vista Entertainment Complex, and the Port of San Diego’s Blue Economy Incubator and real estate opportunities. The investment attraction event included a networking lunch and media interviews with Politico and Le Figaro (France’s second largest national newspaper).
- Sister City Celebration: San Diego and Marseille inked a sister city relationship that formalizes a more robust local infrastructure tying the two cities and regions together. This elevated relationship status ensures that the binational efforts advanced during the trade mission can endure for years to come.
- Sanofi FDI attraction: The delegation visited the headquarters of Sanofi, France’s largest life sciences company, which had announced investments of more than $20 billion in the United States by 2030. The delegation put San Diego’s excellence in biotech front and center as it pitched specific regional developments as ideal locations for Sanofi to continue building out its local presence.
- Life Sciences MOU: Biocom and its French counterpart Eurobiomed reaffirmed their shared commitment to growing foreign investment and transatlantic opportunities for their respective life sciences clusters. This builds on a years-long effort by France’s Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region to gain a foothold in San Diego, through chartered flights and participation in major conferences such as BIO (returning to San Diego in 2026).
- San Diego contributions to nuclear fusion at ITER: California–and San Diego in particular–are leading the charge to realize nuclear fusion, spearheaded by General Atomics. This visit to the home of the world’s most ambitious nuclear fusion project highlighted San Diego’s technical contributions and allowed for a deep-dive discussion into what is required for the region to scale this transformative technology in the decades to come.
- Paris Air Show: WTCSD joined GO-Biz and a delegation of 30 aerospace companies and organizations to position the state as a leader in defense and aerospace technologies.
- Chamber delegation to Mexico City: WTCSD attended the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s trade mission to Mexico City, which serves to strengthen ties with San Diego’s largest trading partner. WTCSD contributed data and intelligence highlighting the scale of cross-border commerce and the nature of the highly-integrated supply chain in Cali Baja.
- SelectUSA: WTCSD participated in SelectUSA, the largest FDI attraction conference in the U.S., as part of the GO-Biz/California delegation.
- Support for Philippines mayoral trip: WTCSD equipped Mayor Todd Gloria’s office with economic intelligence and presentation materials for Mayor Gloria’s trip to the Philippines, which highlighted our regions’ strong ties in tech and defense.
WTCSD hosts delegations from markets critical to San Diego’s trade and investment priorities. These connections lead to economic benefits for San Diego’s business community and create opportunities for our region’s major institutions. In 2025, WTCSD hosted 18 delegations from 15 countries, including but not limited to Japan, Switzerland, China, Australia, Taiwan, Ireland, and Norway.
- Italy CES – January 10
- Swiss Medtech – January 31
- Norwegian port/maritime – February 4
- Taiwan – February 11
- International Visitor Leadership Program – February 13
- Chinese Consulate – February 13
- Ireland NFIA – March 4
- Ivory Coast at SDSU – March 5
- Kyoto Prize Symposium – March 12
- South Africa – March 12
- Australian defense tech – April 2)
- City of San Diego workshop – April 17)
- Keidanren (Japan) – June 5
- Beyond Japan – September 11
- Germany – October 30
- Finland – October 30
- South Africa – November 10
- Swedish American Chamber of Commerce – November 11
- France – November 15
OUR PARTNERS
- James Sly (Chair), Commissioner, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
- Christina Bibler (Secretary), Economic Development Director, City of San Diego
- Danielle Moore, (Treasurer), Board Chair, Port of San Diego
- Founding partner appointees
- Kim Becker, President & CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, (Co-Chair)
- Christina Bibler, Director, Economic Development, City of San Diego
- Mark Cafferty, President & CEO, San Diego Regional EDC
- Nikia Clarke, Executive Director, WTCSD
- Joel Valenzuela, VP Operations, Port of San Diego
Council members
- Scott Russell, Arup
- Patrick O’Keefe, ASML
- Connor Bates, BD
- Miguel Motta, Biocom
- Jennie Brooks, Booz Allen
- Jason Jager, BCG
- Cristoph Zapf, Bristol Myers Squibb
- Emily Cowley, British Consulate, San Diego
- Debra Smythe, BTX Global Logistics
- Christina Bibler, City of San Diego
- MaryAnne Pintar, Office of Rep. Scott Peters
- Denice Garcia, County of San Diego
- Erik Caldwell, Cubic
- Juli Stone Moran, Deloitte
- Jae Park, Dentons
- Jake Leach, Dexcom
- Brett Hershman, GD NASSCO
- David Orth, GKN Aerospace
- Ashley Van Zeeland, Illumina
- Maritza Diaz, ITJ
- Takatoshi Oda, Japan Airlines
- Bambos Charalambous, JPMorganChase
- Aaron Ryan, JPMorganChase
- Kristina Sojung Kim, KS Kim Law, PC
- Martina Hupach, Lufthansa Group
- Zafer Sahinoglu, Mitsubishi Electric USA
- Rho Cauley Bruner, Northrop Grumman
- Javier Gómez, Office of Mayor Todd Gloria
- Jorge Goytortua, Cross Border Xpress
- Scott Chadwick, Port of San Diego
- Mike LaFleur, Port of San Diego
- Joel Valenzuela, Port of San Diego
- Monique Rodriguez, Qualcomm
- Amanda Leer, Resmed
- Carlos Nunez, Resmed
- Daniel Fitzgerald, San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network
- Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
- Hampton Brown, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
- Kazeem Omidiji, SDG&E
- Kenia Zamarripa, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Nate Kelley, San Diego Tourism Authority
- Shawn Dixon, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
- Steffi Haffen, Snell & Wilmer
- Tiffany Yarling, Solar Turbines
- John Paul Barraza, SYSTRAN by Chapsvision
- Jim Johnston, Takeda San Diego
- Barbara Wight, Taylor Guitars
- Laura Garrett, TaylorMade Golf Company
- Cristina Hermosillo, Tijuana EDC
- Fernando Espinosa, Top Notch Finders
- Peter Townshend, Townshend Venture Advisors
- Aron Davidson, U.S. Commercial Service
- Thomas Reott, U.S. Consulate General, Tijuana
- Peter Cowhey, UC San Diego
- Tyler Baldridge, Viasat
- Steve Brass, WD-40 Company
- Pilar Dieter, YCP Solidiance
Blogs & Case studies
