15 Sep San Diego’s Biotech Boom and the Need for Cleanrooms

Near some of California’s most relaxed beaches, the local biotechnology industry of San Diego is riding a wave of prosperity. You might think of “Silicon Valley” to the North when you think of technology, but when it comes to biotech, San Diego is a very strong player.

San Diego is home to more than 500 life science businesses and 70 research institutes. The relatively new field is responsible for the significant growth of San Diego’s economy. It is estimated that biotech in San Diego employs around 50,000 people and counting. With a culture of innovation and new ideas, biotech in San Diego has garnered more than $2.2 billion dollars in venture capital, making them the third ranked globally in biotech venture investment in 2016 worldwide. By 2015, life science companies accounted for about a 30% increase over the region’s five-year average. These trends have continued into 2020 and beyond with the Pandemic just accelerating the growth and interest in biotechnology.

Behind the Boom in San Diego Biotech

But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Some complain that the flourishing of the industry is leading to higher rent prices. It is estimated the rents for new facilities have gone up at least 10% per square foot since the end of 2014. Additionally, some Los Angeles based investors say their city cannot keep up with San Diego. One Los Angeles investor lamented that their city does have capital and competent research institutions, but San Diego remains superior in company formation. As a leading cleanroom manufacturer, we’re certainly seeing strong interests from both established companies and startups that need an obvious cleanroom partner for their manufacturing and test capabilities.

Modular Cleanrooms Meet Key Needs

Modular cleanrooms fill a key need as they are affordable and flexible, allowing companies to grow rapidly and keep costs within reason. Following the biotech boom, suppliers of scientific equipment and cleanroom facilities have flocked in from the rest of California to help San Diego grow, resulting in a economic boon to the Golden State, at $34 billion in local economic impact. But some suggest the growth will stunt. Although biotechnology jobs grew 19.6 percent between 2011 and 2016, Biocom predicts that growth to slow to 2.7 percent by 2021. Biocom estimates that this is lower than the 4 percent projected employment growth for San Diego overall by 2021.

Regardless, the future of biotechnology in San Diego remains to be seen. If you’re in the industry and want to explore how modular cleanroom technology might help you control costs yet meet your unique needs, reach out to our cleanroom experts for a free evaluation and consultation.