Daily Business Report/Dec. 29, 2016
The festival is bringing back the 21 and up series in partnership with the Fleet Science Center.
Festival of Science & Engineering
Returning to San Diego in March
The ninth annual Biocom Institute Festival of Science & Engineering, San Diego returns to San Diego this spring.
As one of the largest STEM festivals in the U.S., Expo Day March 4 at Petco Park, and Festival Week March 5-12, will feature interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and dynamic speakers to engage kids, adults and families in science, technology, engineering and math education.
More than 70,000 are expected to participate. Presented by the Illumina Foundation, many events are free and open to the public. Visit www.lovestemsd.org for festival week details.
“As STEM education continues to soar in San Diego, we feel it is important to continue our reach into the neighborhoods by providing family-friendly activities that not only excite the young learners, but also open their eyes to the possibilities right in their own backyards for schooling and career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Sara Pagano, managing director of the event. “Additionally, we are excited to bring back the 21 and up series in partnership with Fleet Science Center as it was a huge success last year for our young professional crowd all the way through retired STEM enthusiasts, proving that the sparks of science fly at all ages.”
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Qualcomm to Challenge $854M
Fine by South Korean Regulator
Qualcomm has been fined $854 million by the South Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) over alleged antitrust violations, with the regulator finding the chip giant’s business practices to be in violation of competition law.
Qualcomm’s business model includes collecting royalty payments from clients, which are calculated on the price of the handset using the chip, rather than the price of the chipset itself, and royalties from its patents.
“Qualcomm strongly believes that the KFTC findings are inconsistent with the facts, disregard the economic realities of the marketplace, and misapply fundamental tenets of competition law,” Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Qualcomm, said in response to the fine.
“Importantly, this decision does not take issue with the value of Qualcomm’s patent portfolio.”
Qualcomm added that it will file for an immediate stay of the order, and appeal the decision and the fine to the Seoul High Court. It is required to pay the fine within 60 days, however.
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Workshops for Warriors Receives
$40,000 Grant from Tesoro Foundation
Workshops for Warriors, a nonprofit school providing veterans free training and nationally recognized industry credentials in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programming, computer numeric controlled (CNC) machining and welding, announced it received a $40,000 grant from the Tesoro Foundation.
The funds will be used to help the school purchase a new Haas Automation CNC Mill VF-2, a piece of equipment that supports hands-on learning of CNC machining.
“We have a current waitlist of more than 200 veterans seeking entrance into our program. This grant will enable us to purchase one machine that will allow us to add 30 additional veterans to our machining program annually. We’re extremely grateful,” said Hernán Luis y Prado, founder of Workshops for Warriors. “Tesoro understands the issues the manufacturing industry is facing and the need to increase the entry of skilled workers into the pipeline of the declining manufacturing field.”
WFW has trained and certified 338 veterans, with 1,318 nationally recognized third-party credentials. In 2015, 94 percent of their graduates obtained jobs in advanced manufacturing after completing their programs.
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Governor’s PUC Appointments Draw Fire
Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointment of Martha Guzman Aceves and Clifford Rechtschaffen to the California Public Utilities Commission, replacing Michael Florio and Catherine Sandoval whose six-year terms expire on January 1, 2017.
“Martha has the experience, know-how and insight to well serve the people of California at the Public Utilities Commission,” said Brown. “Cliff’s experience as a lawyer, teacher and specialist in environmental and energy matters equips him to do an outstanding job on the commission. Both have sound judgment and a commitment to protecting ratepayers and ensuring safe, reliable and climate-friendly energy in California.”
Rechtschaffen’s appointment, however, quickly drew condemnation from Consumer Watchdog, which has harshly criticized the governor’s ties to California utilities and large oil companies.
“Governor Brown has just turned the keys of the Public Utilities Commission over to another oil industry loyalist who did the industry’s wet work in firing tough oil well regulators in 2011,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.
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Electric Vehicles Star in 5-Day
Auto Show at Convention Center
Times of San Diego
The annual San Diego International Auto Show begins a five-day run today at the Convention Center, featuring displays of new models and exotic vehicles, test drives and Camp Jeep, an interactive indoor off-road experience.
The first day of the show will showcase electric vehicles, financial incentives to buy them and charging stations. Auto show organizers estimated that more than 22,000 electric vehicles travel San Diego County roadways.
Among the many redesigned cars on display will be Acura MDX, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and SUV Buick Encore SUVs; Buick LaCross and Kia Cadenza sedans; and Honda Ridgeline and GMC Canyon Denali pickup trucks.
On display in the exotics section will be a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Mulliner State Landaulette and a 1984 Rolls-Royce Corniche that’s one of just three vehicles produced in the “lagoon blue” color.
Major automakers will offer test drives along the convention center’s front and back driveways, and in Camp Jeep — a 40,000-square-foot attraction that will let attendees put Jeep vehicles through off-road paces.
General admission is $12.
