Tech Coast

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Tech Coast is a nickname given to the Southern California region extending from Santa Barbara in the north to northern San Diego County in the south. Counties include Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego.

Contents

[edit] Origin of the term

The Tech Coast concept and name, created by Timothy Cooley in the mid-90s to define the region's industrial and economic drivers[1][2], has been adopted to describe the region as it matured from an economy dominated by aerospace and defense to that of a diversified, global, multi technology based industry.

[edit] Universities

The Tech Coast region encompasses some of the greatest concentration of research and development activity in the world emanating from major universities such as:

[edit] Major research institutes

[edit] Economy

[edit] Notable companies

Some companies located in the Tech Coast include:

[edit] Shipping and commerce

The Tech Coast also includes the largest port complex in the U.S., the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and one of the largest airports in the world, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

[edit] Tech Coast Notability

  • The Tech Coast was responsible for 6,000 patents, just behind Silicon Valley's 8000[1].
  • A 2006 Wall Street Journal article listed San Diego as the 6th Most Inventive Town in America. [3]
  • The Tech Coast attracts the second largest pool of VC funding in the U.S. (after the Bay area)[1].
  • The Tech Coast houses the largest organized angel investor group in the U.S[citation needed].
  • Ernst & Young indicates that $2.16 of the $14.48 billion invested in went to Southern California based companies in the first half of 2007[4].
  • There are at least 19,000 technology related firms located in the Tech Coast which employ 50% more people than the Bay Area[5].

[edit] Criticism

While the name "Tech Coast" was coined in the 90's it has yet to receive a high level of traction. Unlike the recognized term "Silicon Valley", Tech Coast as a brand has yet to take off. Some have considered the lack of traction attributed to the lack of cohesiveness found within southern California's technology industry (which contrasts the tight knit tech community found in the Valley)[6].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c K.B. Keilbach, "Tech Coast," OC Metro, 1 Mar 2007, cover story.
  2. ^ editorial, "High Tech Name Game," LA Times, 4 Feb 1998, Metro Section B4.
  3. ^ Reed Albergotti, "The Most Inventive Towns in America," Wall Street Journal, 22-23 July 2006, P1.
  4. ^ Dow Jones -MarketWatch
  5. ^ SupplyChainBrain
  6. ^ Los Angeles Business Journal

[edit] External links


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