What’s Inside: Our Annual 2022 Economic Impact Report; Plan Ahead for #JPM23; Financial Savings for Lab Budgets; Volunteer Opportunities; and more. 

Just Released: 2022 Life Science Economic Impact Report
Biocom California is pleased to announce the launch of our 2022 Life Science Economic Impact Report — a refreshed analysis and vital barometer of the profound impact that the life science industry has in California. This 52-page report created in partnership with Deloitte reveals how California continues to be the leading innovation hub for life sciences, providing more than 400,000 jobs in the state and generating $376 billion in total economic output. San Diego County’s life science workforce consists of over 71,000 direct employees, pays an average annual wage of $149,528, and represents a regional economic impact of $49.8 billion. The largest sector of life science jobs growth was in Biotechnology, which increased its San Diego workforce by 18 percent in 2021. Download San Diego Fact Sheet.  

Advocacy & Public Policy

​​​​​​Biocom California Advocates for Increased Density Around Transit
Following advocacy by Biocom California and others, City of San Diego staff presented an updated proposal for sustainable development areas to the city’s Planning Commission on December 8. Previously the city had proposed to shrink development in these areas significantly; the new plan only removes future developments in areas that aren’t feasible for new buildings.

Watch for New Air Pollution Rule Proposal in 2023
San Diego County’s Air Pollution Control District is considering a new Indirect Source Rule that could require warehouses to reduce emissions from vehicles traveling to and from their properties. The rule, fashioned after South Coast AQMD’s rule from 2021, will likely be introduced in Q1 2023. 

Additional Highlights:

• CBRE is out with their local market life science report. The industry continues strong growth even in a cooling economy.
• San Diego City Council passed the Mira Mesa community plan update, with added capacity for 24,000 homes and 5,000 jobs. 
• Julia Chase is now the City of San Diego’s Chief Resilience Officer and will lead efforts to implement the city’s climate resiliency plan, knows as Climate Resilient SD.
• A judge ruled that the city, not SDG&E, must pay for Pure Water gas pipelines.
• San Diego is not protected from the state’s water crisis.

Capital Development

Planning Ahead for #JPM23: Need Meeting Space? 
Finding a dedicated space to connect with business colleagues and prospects during JPM week can be challenging. We’re helping our members by providing complimentary meeting space at Hotel Zeppelin, just steps away from the conference. Meeting rooms are available to Biocom California Members for
30 minutes per company per day. Members can meet with non-members, but the room must be booked by a Biocom California member. Book your meeting space today.

Join Us to Kick Off JPM 2023 in Style
Hosted by AZBio, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Biocom California, BioNJ, Helsinn, Lonza, MichBio, NewYorkBIO, and others, the State Bio Friends Reception kicks off the largest annual gathering of innovators and healthcare investors in the world. This is a private reception for members of hosted life science associations and is invite-only, and will take place January 8 at The Marker Hotel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Use promo code ‘Biocom4CA’ to register.

JPM 2023 Cocktail Reception Hosted by BioMed Realty and Biocom California
Please join BioMed Realty and Biocom California for an evening of great company and food at The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel’s historic Redwood Room on January 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Best of all, we will be showing the NCAA College Football playoff game on a wide-screen TV. Register today.

WuXi Global Forum 2023
WuXi AppTec is pleased to announce the distinguished speakers and agenda for WuXi Global Forum 2023, on January 10, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Hilton San Francisco Union Square in concurrence with the JPM Conference.
The theme of this year’s forum is B.O.L.D. We will reflect on the state of innovation and highlight our industry’s notable advances in tackling innovation challenges to build an impactful future for patients: Breaking Barriers, Opening New Horizons, Leading Next Generation, and Delivering on the Promise for Patients. WuXi Global Forum 2023 is complimentary and by invitation. Reserve your seat here.

JPM 2023: Biotech Showcase 
Biotech Showcase is an investor and networking conference devoted to providing private and micro-mid-cap biotech companies an opportunity to present to and meet with investors and biopharma executives. Biotech Showcase will be in San Francisco in-person January 9-11, and digitally January 18-19, on partneringON. In-person attendees are also welcome to join the virtual conference days and schedule one-to-one meetings. Biocom California members can use the promo code supBIOCOM2023 to receive $200 off registration.

Apply to Showcase Your Company at Our Global Partnering Conference  
Is your company seeking funding and/or strategic business partners to help you grow? Apply today to stream your presentation at Biocom’s Global Life Science Partnering Conference, which happens in San Diego February 28 to March 2. Presenting at the conference is a unique opportunity for life science companies looking to raise money and build collaborations with investors and potential strategic partners. Applications are due January 13.

Community and Workforce Development

BioBasics 101: The Biology of Biotech for the Non-Scientist
Register for two half-day courses and learn the foundational science upon which all biopharma therapies are based. This course will help increase your scientific knowledge so that you can converse more effectively with colleagues, clients, regulators, and scientists. Early registration ends December 31.

Biocom California Institute is accepting applications for the 2023 fellowship programs! Learn more about our Life Science Young Leaders  and Veterans in Life Science Fellowship programs. Application deadline is December 22.

Last Call for Sponsors & Exhibitors: San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering
California’s largest STEM Festival is returning to Petco Park on March 4. Each year, 24,000 community members attend this free event for fun, hands-on and engaging STEAM experiences. Join other Biocom California member companies in supporting the next generation of industry professionals by hosting an exhibit booth at the Festival. Sign up before it’s too late! Commitments are needed by the end of the year. To learn more and get involved, contact Silvana DelPiccolo.

Women Who Inspire Conference on International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day, help inspire the next generation of women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). On March 8, high school girls from San Diego Unified will attend the Women Who Inspire Conference at UC San Diego Park & Market to gain industry exposure and hear from experts in a variety of STEAM topics. Industry companies and community organizations can apply to host a workshop during this daylong conference. The program sends an inclusive message about what makes a successful STEAM professional and encourages young women to pursue their interests in STEAM. We are accepting workshop proposals to host one of the breakout sessions for the students during the conference. You can submit your workshop proposals here. To learn more and get involved, contact Silvana DelPiccolo.

Call for Volunteers: I See Me Program with Migrant Education Services
In this program, volunteers participate in a one-hour virtual session with elementary and middle school students in the San Diego County Migrant Education program. Students will ask questions about careers and education paths during the session then analyze this information in class to strengthen their writing. These sessions are intended to create career exposure opportunities by allowing students to interview and interact with diverse STEAM professionals from various departments including R&D, marketing, engineering, and more. Our overarching goal is to expose students to careers they may not have known existed, and to help them recognize how their unique skills and strengths may be utilized in STEAM fields. Contact Dolores Flores to sign up today. 

Support Diversity in Our Industry through Mentorship, Internships, and Company Tours 
One of our newest members, the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, is the only HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) in California. Generation STEAM, Biocom California’s nonprofit affiliate, has teamed up with the university to support CDU’s Biomedical Sciences Enrichment Program, a 10-month long program designed to expose students to careers in biomedical, biotechnology and biopharma industries, with a goal of diversifying the talent pool within the field by incorporating Black and Latino students. Students are predominantly biomedical and biotech research undergrad and grad students who were selected to participate in the program via an application process. We are looking for individuals and companies alike to support this program via mentorship, summer internships, and/or company tours. Contact Silvana DelPiccolo to learn more. 

Savings & Purchasing Group

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Financial Solutions Can Help Stretch Lab Budgets
Innovation often comes with a high price tag. Thankfully, Thermo Fisher Scientific is making it easier than ever to maximize your resources and enable your success through their Financial Solutions program. For a limited time, they are offering interest rates as low as 3 percent on all Thermo Fisher products and services. Even better, payments do not commence until your equipment is fully installed. With the market prime rate currently 6.25 percent, low-cost financing like this is hard to come by. This limited-time, fixed-rate promotion is accepting applications until December 31. Apply here today.

Community Event Recap

"Let’s Talk About – Female Life Science CEOs" Recap
On December 1, Biocom California celebrated some of our industry’s top female leaders in life science and the room was full of great energy and networking. Our event featured powerhouse San Diego CEOs Sheila Gujrathi, Sabrina Johnson, Ciara Kennedy, and Lori Kaiser as moderator. With only 23 percent of biotech CEOs identifying as women, according to a 2021 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) report, it’s important our industry comes together to redefine what authentic leadership means and continue to move the needle on diversity in the pursuit of supporting women in the industry. The powerful message heard throughout the evening is the importance of networking, allyship, mentorship, and connections. Keep an eye out for more of our Let’s Talk About series—you won’t want to miss it! Check out photos here.

Committees

Cell & Gene Therapy Committee
The Biocom California Cell & Gene Therapy Committee will meet on January 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The expert panel, led by committee co-chairs Jens Vogel, Global Head of Biotech at Bayer, and Jeff Bluestone, CEO at Sonoma Biotherapeutics, will discuss “The CMC Bottleneck in Cell Therapy.” This program will take place live in South San Francisco and be simulcast to a live gathering in both San Diego and Los Angeles. You must attend in person to access the content. All locations will offer live engagement and networking. Details and registration here.