San Diego business leaders in England to strengthen ties

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — Around two dozen San Diego civic and business leaders were in England Monday at the start of a three-day trade mission to promote local industries and develop business relationships. 

The mission is being led by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. and Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego. 

"San Diego’s economy is a center for international trade thanks to innovation and leadership in our key industries,” Peters said. "Our world-class life sciences and defense sectors opened new markets in the U.K. and every day there are more opportunities for collaboration," he said. "In today’s increasingly global economy, supporting San Diego’s role in international trade markets supports economic growth and jobs back home." 

Some of the others on the trip include representatives of local companies like Cubic Transportation Systems, Qualcomm and NuVasive; the life sciences trade organization Biocom; UC San Diego and San Diego State University; and BioMed Realty, a real estate firm for life sciences businesses. BioMed is scheduled to announce a 100,000-square-foot laboratory project in Cambridge. 

Also during the trip, a partnership between London and San Diego to help San Diego companies grow internationally is scheduled to be announced, according to the EDC.

The EDC said that companies based in the United Kingdom directly support more than 10,000 jobs in San Diego and poured more than $3.9 billion in investments into the region’s economy between 2003 and 2015. The U.K. is one of the top 10 largest export markets for San Diego-produced goods and services, according to the EDC, which is leading the trip via its World Trade Center San Diego affiliate.