Biotech and Biomedical

Genentech is the most familiar name on Solano’s roster but far from the only biotech/biomedical company operating here in the Bay Area Biotech hub. In this industry where educated, research-driven employees and specialized facilities are so crucial, Solano offers access to several universities known for these activities — from UC Davis, with its medical school and research emphasis, to Solano Community College’s new biomanufacturing degree.

Overview of Biotech and Biomedical Industry in Solano County

BioTech & BioMedical
2016 Avg. Annual Wages 2016 Avg. Annual Empl 2016 # Businesses 2016 Location Quotient* Regional Gross Product (Output)
$45,441 2,206 73 1.5 1.28 Billion
* Location quotient (LQ) is a way of quantifying how concentrated a particular industry, cluster, occupation, or demographic group is in a region as compared to the nation. An LQ higher than 1.0 means the region has higher-than-average concentrations of those industry assets.
Source: Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages, Economic Forensics & Analytics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2016.

Biotech and Biomedical Representative Businesses

Life Sciences Businesses in Solano County (a sampling)
Company Product or Service
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Pharmaceutical Instruments Manufacturing
Genentech Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
HemoStat Lab Blood Products Production
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Analytical Instruments Manufacturing
MuriGenics Research and Development
Novici Biotech Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Operating Costs, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Estimated Operating Costs Comparison of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Metro Area Employee Payroll Fringe & Mandated Benefits Utilities Building/Lease Payments Property Tax Total
Solano $8,682,355 $2,489,699 $1,026,660 $227,000 $306,450 $12,732,164
San Jose $9,800,023 $2,796,947 $1,026,660 $414,000 $324,540 $14,362,170
San Francisco $9,893,829 $2,827,175 $1,026,660 $558,000 $320,760 $14,626,424
Source: Applied Economics, October 2016

Biotech & Biomedical Assets, Resources and Industry Groups

These assets are most directly related to Advanced Manufacturing. The broader directory in Resources, highlights resources the benefit a broader spectrum of businesses, including biotech and biomedical organizations.

Organizations

More details in Business & Industry Groups.

Bay Area Center for International Trade Development

Bay Area CITD assists businesses in expanding globally and manages the one of the largest state-based export promotion efforts in the United States. Learn more here.

California International Business Association

International business directory for international trade opportunities with California. Learn more here.

California Manufacturers & Technology Association

Industry advocacy and information, including research and job boards; Membership-based. Learn more here.

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

Assists small to medium size companies in developing markets abroad for their products and services. California’s Business Portal provides access to information on international trade and investment. GO-Biz also conducts several trade missions each year in support of California Business. Learn more here.

North Bay Life Science Alliance

North Bay Life Science Alliance is a regional public-private partnership initiative to grow the life science industry and jobs in Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Learn more here.

 

California Life Sciences Association

California Life Sciences Association (CLSA) advances California’s world-leading life sciences innovation ecosystem by advocating for effective national, state and local public policies and supporting entrepreneurs and life sciences businesses. Learn more here.

Education and Research

More details in Higher Education.

Solano Community College

New bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing starting in Fall 2017. Learn more here.

Touro University California

Degrees in pharmacy and medical health science. Funded research includes drug development for HIV, cancer vaccine development, human metabolism, lipid disorders and atherosclerosis, aging, inflammation, neurological and chronic diseases. Learn more here.

UC Davis

UC Davis is known for both its extensive medical training facilities and groundbreaking scientific research. Topics under study include genome research, neuroscience, marine sciences, bioinformatics, tissue engineering and clinical trials. With activities spanning so many departments, it’s easy to overlook an important opportunity; these links highlight many of the important resources at Davis. A good starting point for corporate partnerships is the Office of Corporate Relationships. Learn more about UC Davis here.

UC Berkeley

Biomedical research at Berkeley pushes discoveries in many new directions. Just a few areas of study include stem cells, neural engineering, synthetic biology, energy biosciences, and nanosciences. These links to show what’s highlight the latest areas of study in Berkeley’s colleges. Learn more here.

Tax Credits, Financing & Incentives

More details in Incentives.

Recycling Market Development Zone

If your company manufactures with materials diverted from the waste stream, you may be eligible for low-interest loans, special grants and free marketing. Learn more here.

Research & Development Tax Credit

Business activities undertaken to discover technological information, and relying on "hard sciences" such as physics, chemistry, and biology may be eligible for significant tax credit. Learn more here.

Workforce for Biotech & Biomedical

Selected Wage Comparison by Occupation
OCCUPATIONS Solano Co Alameda Co Napa Co Sacramento Co San Francisco Co
Wages by Percentile 25% 75% 25% 75% 25% 75% 25% 75% 25% 75%
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
Food Scientists and Technologists $21.49 $48.29 $24.67 $47.19 $28.13 $26.97 $22.24 $36.84 $31.69 $57.47
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $33.06 $45.26 $32.06 $57.60 $34.05 $46.16 $30.19 $48.16 $33.33 $61.85
Biological Technicians $18.45 $40.81 $20.48 $36.22 n/a n/a $15.70 $23.22 $27.14 $42.92
All Other Life, Physical & Social Science Occupations $18.45 $40.81 $20.48 $36.22 n/a n/a $15.70 $23.22 $27.14 $42.92
Computer and Mathematical Occupations
Database Administrators $37.57 $57.17 $32.17 $58.73 $31.03 $68.00 $29.57 $50.47 $38.74 $66.01
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $31.81 $49.85 $40.73 $61.60 $31.44 $47.14 $30.61 $48.61 $39.08 $64.08
Production Occupations
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $24.14 $36.32 $21.72 $43.23 $26.06 $42.98 $20.64 $36.23 $23.72 $48.19
Source: State of California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division (www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/) Employment and Wages Occupations, 1st Quarter 2016 data, July 2016. ¹Standard Occupational Code