By Christina Vincent Economic Development Manager City of Carlsbad

Two years ago, the five cities along the state Route 78 Corridor launched Innovate78, an economic initiative designed to boost prosperity through regional collaboration. Innovate78 is an agreement among Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista to collectively promote the cities along the 78 Corridor as a magnet for talent, companies and investment.

Innovate78 grew from the realization that the five cities along state Route 78 have much in common and can benefit by collaborating to promote our common interests, whereas competing against each other could drive businesses, jobs and investment dollars away. 

North San Diego County is home to a wide array of businesses that specialize in high tech, life sciences and other core industries; it has grown into a vibrant economic engine as home to more than 600,000 residents and 20,000 innovative businesses.

To help promote the 78 Corridor and attract businesses and talent, the five cities signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in June 2014 with the San Diego Economic Development Corp., which has taken on the mission of promoting the Corridor and telling about what it’s like to live, work and operate a business here. Matthew Sanford, director of economic development at the San Diego Economic Development Corp., has been working hard to attract talent, businesses and investment to the 78 Corridor. Our website, www.Innovate78.com, contains a wealth of information on the region’s industries, workforce and residents.

“Innovate78 represents the collective efforts of five cities along the 78 Corridor,” said Sanford, who is managing the partnership. “Together, we support business expansion and talent acquisition unlike anywhere in San Diego — positioning North San Diego County as a dynamic place to live and work.” 

Innovate78 has supported more than 100 companies over the past two years, helping to preserve thousands of jobs. Sanford is in regular contact with firms based in the 78 Corridor that are seeking to expand, as well as with firms outside the region and state that are seeking to move to a talent-rich location.

Over the past year, Innovate78 has accomplished some major milestones, including:

•Hosting three industry roundtables, in diagnostics, manufacturing, and information and communications technology, to highlight the 78 Corridor’s diverse economy, identify challenges and accelerate industry growth. The roundtables involved industry experts, academic institutions and city economic developers to educate participants on ways to capitalize on the region’s strengths, which include quality of life, quality of talent, and proximity to San Diego, Orange County and Baja California.

•Launching a data dashboard that quantifies the economic health and demography of the five cities along the corridor. The dashboard uses 20 different metrics, such as educational attainment, cost of real estate, employment rates, and even the number of breweries in the five cities, to inform businesses and individuals about the opportunities available to those who live and work here.

•Promoting San Diego and regional businesses during a trip to Japan in early 2016. As San Diego County’s largest trade and investment market, Japan represents a key to the region’s economic growth. Innovate78 leaders pitched the five cities’ talent pool, collaborative business climate and thriving industry clusters to attract investment and attention.

•Collaborating to tackle important regional issues. . The mayors of the five cities authored letters of support to ease state-mandated water regulations, stressing the region’s investments in infrastructure, supply diversification and conservation that had reduced overall demand.

“Looking back over our first year, it’s evident the collaborative culture created by Innovate78 has permeated throughout the region, encouraging businesses, academic institutions and diverse industries to work together to strengthen the economy,” Sanford said.

Sanford and his team are doing their best to shepherd businesses to success by helping identify barriers to growth and overcome them.

By thinking regionally our businesses are establishing a regional identity that spreads beyond our borders to attract new talent and investment. Innovate78 is an important catalyst in making that happen.