SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, SANDAG and San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas and World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD) are leading a trade delegation to South Korea.
The trade mission, which will take place Oct. 27-Nov. 2, aims to promote the region’s key industries and establish and strengthen business relationships in the biotechnology, semiconductor, clean energy and infrastructure sectors.
“South Korea is a critical global market and a natural partner for San Diego,” said Mayor Gloria. “We share complementary strengths in the life sciences, clean energy and biotechnology sectors. I am proud to once again join Trade Center San Diego on a trade mission to strengthen business relationships and grow quality jobs here at home for San Diegans.”
With Asia’s third busiest cargo airport and seventh largest port, South Korea is an emerging hub for global trade and business.
As the United States strengthens its partnerships in East Asia, San Diego finds in South Korea an economy with shared expertise in knowledge-intensive sectors such as personalized medicine, semiconductor research and manufacturing, and clean energy.
During the visit, a partnership between San Diego-based medical technology company Dexcom and South Korean technology giant Kakao is contemplated, which will allow Dexcom to introduce its next-generation glucose monitoring systems to the South Korean market.
Also, opportunities to showcase important regional development projects to foreign investors, such as the redevelopment of Seaport Village, Lithium Valley in Imperial County, as well as campus expansions at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego.
Other highlights include meetings with port, airport and infrastructure partners to better connect our regions through nonstop air and liner services, as well as to share innovations in energy transition.
The agenda also includes meetings with the Governor of Gyeonggi and the Mayor of Siheung, as well as formal meetings and visits to leading companies in both regions, such as Qualcomm, Illumina and Samsung Biologics.
Delegates will participate in more than 15 meetings throughout the trade mission, where they will share best practices and drive business connectivity across many verticals. The two dozen delegates from San Diego include representatives from Illumina, Qualcomm, Viasat, ASML, Cubic, General Dynamics NASSCO, Gafcon and small companies such as Tioga Research and Nano PharmaSolutions.
Delegates from key agencies, universities and civic organizations such as the Port of San Diego, San Diego International Airport, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Imperial Valley EDC and Tijuana EDC, among others, will also attend.
The trade mission is organized by the World Trade Center San Diego, an affiliate of the San Diego Regional EDC, with assistance and support from the U.S. Embassy in South Korea and sponsorship from Dentons, Townshend Venture Advisors and Qualcomm.
