Daily Business Report: Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022
Viasat’s gateways are connecting the world
Its large 9.1m and 13.5m antennas are a
key component for high-speed satellite networks
By Jane Reuter
Huge, vaguely alien in appearance and rarely seen, large antennas made by Viasat quietly fill a vital purpose for people and operations around the world — linking them to satellites that provide internet service.
Viasat is one of very few companies which make 9.1- and 13.5-meter antennas for satellite gateways. Designed for the latest high-capacity Ka-band satellites, the antenna systems offer broadband support to deliver high-speed connections for residential, commercial, and government services.
These critical pieces of equipment are typically installed in open, remote spaces to enable clear lines of sight to the satellites at which they’re pointed, but if you were to catch a glimpse of these elusive structures, you’d likely do a double take. A 9.1m antenna’s reflector is 30-feet across, and the entire structure stands 35-feet tall; the larger 13.5m reflector measures 45-feet across, with its entire assembly rising as high as 60 feet. These big pieces of equipment have a big job – receiving and transmitting radio waves between Earth and geostationary satellites high in space.
Dubai welcomes Illumina’s 15th Solutions Center
Emirati scientists, clinicians, and dignitaries attended the opening of the Illumina Solutions Center in Dubai on Nov. 8. The new state-of-the-art facility will expand genomics capabilities and build local expertise in genomics to advance and deliver precision medicine to patients at scale.
“We opened our UAE-based Solutions Center because we see tremendous opportunity to deepen our already-strong relationships with the country’s health and technology ministries, as well as with science and health care professionals in the region,” says Susan Tousi, chief commercial officer of Illumina. “In the era of the genome, the center will enable our partners to drive scientific discovery geared towards the Arab population, and set new standards of health care excellence at the local and regional level.”
MiraCosta College’s Biomanufacturing program
receives grant from Strada Education Network
Strada Education Network selected MiraCosta College’s Biomanufacturing program to receive a grant through Strada’s Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge. Strada awarded this $400,000 grant as part of an effort to support innovative collaborations across the country between community colleges and employers in their region. MiraCosta College also will participate with Strada in a community of practice to learn from other select community college-employer partnerships around the country.
Within the grant, MiraCosta College will collaborate with Sterogene Bioseparations and Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute Overview. Sterogene Bioseparations is privately held company headquartered in Carlsbad. The company develops and manufactures stable, NaOH affinity chromatography resins that are used in the purification of human blood products and biopharmaceuticals, the company has evolved into being a key supplier of chromatography resins and services to some of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. Read more…
Within the grant, MiraCosta College will collaborate with Sterogene Bioseparations and Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute Overview. Sterogene Bioseparations is privately held company headquartered in Carlsbad. The company develops and manufactures stable, NaOH affinity chromatography resins that are used in the purification of human blood products and biopharmaceuticals, the company has evolved into being a key supplier of chromatography resins and services to some of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. Read more…
UC San Diego awarded $8 million to
expand stem cell therapy clinical trials
By Nicole Mlynaryk
As part of a statewide effort to advance stem cell therapies, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded $8 million to the UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic, part of the new UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute. The funding will support the clinic’s mission of bringing new stem cell-based therapies to patients with difficult-to-treat diseases.
The Alpha Clinics — named for being the first of their kind — are a network of clinics spanning the state of California, designed to bridge the gap between stem cell research and clinical application. The system brings together clinical, research, regulatory and administrative teams in order to expedite clinical trials and streamline the patient experience. Read more…
San Diego’s SOCi received honors
from Inc. Magazine and Deloitte
San Diego-based SOCi, marketing platform for multi-location brands, has received honors from Inc. Magazine and Deloitte, recognizing its success as a B2B partner supporting entrepreneurs and helping startups grow and its growth as an industry leader in localized marketing technology. SOCi was recognized as one of the 252 companies founders can’t live without, which “go the extra mile to provide game-changing support” on the Inc. Power Partner Awards. SOCi has also been ranked on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech and energy tech companies in North America.
Maritime Museum to teach tall ship sailor training program
Maritime Museum of San Diego announces the first stage of 2023 curriculum to train individuals how to sail and maintain tall ships. Vessel training includes learning the history of and skills to maintain and sail the 19th century Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing tall ship, plus the official tall ship for the state Californian and Spanish galleon replica San Salvador. Sail and maintenance crew members will learn skills such as knot tying, terminology, line handling, sail setting, sail theory, maintenance of the ships, and even the possibility of “laying aloft” to climb and work in the rigging of the historic vessels.
Participants interested in the program should visit sdmaritime.org for more details.
Adam Aarons joins Drata as chief revenue officer
Drata, a continuous security and compliance automation platform, announced Adam Aarons has joined the company as chief revenue officer . Aarons will be responsible for leading the company’s sales organization and driving the continued success of global revenue teams. A seasoned sales executive, Adam Aarons has spearheaded growth for B2B companies including Okta, where he scaled the identity and access management company from $1 million to more than $300 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in six years.
Mercato launches Thriving Communities program
Mercato, an ecommerce platform for independent grocers based in San Diego, has announced its new initiative to improve access to healthy foods and foster economic stability in low-income communities. Thriving Communities works with local governments, private funders and nonprofits to bring more grocers onto the eGrocery platform so they can digitize their inventory, offer delivery and enable enrollment and utilization of SNAP online.
Ankit Patel joins BioMed Realty as executive VP and CFO
BioMed Realty, a San Diego-based provider of real estate solutions to the life science and technology industries, announced that Ankit Patel will join the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Nov. 28, 2022. In this role, Patel will lead the company’s financial reporting, accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, capital markets, information technology and asset management functions, reporting to Tim Schoen, CEO of BioMed Realty, and will be based in BioMed Realty’s San Diego headquarters.
You’re invited to IRC’s 4th annual Holiday Bazaar
Join the SBA and SBA Community Navigator International Rescue Committee as they highlight their small business micro-enterprise clients at IRC’s 4th Annual Holiday Bazaar. The event is in partnership with Make Projects at the Make Café in North Park on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors will include a diverse group of small businesses from multiple cultures who all share the dream of small business ownership. Shop for the art, handmade crafts, gifts, skincare, jewelry, holiday wreaths, clothing, bags, and other accessories that will be available at the event.
Application deadline nears for short-term rental licenses
The City of San Diego encourages hosts seeking to rent an entire home as a Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO). also referred to as short-term vacation rental, for more than 20 days to apply for an STRO license before the application period closes on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. The STRO Ordinance, approved by the San Diego City Council and California Coastal Commission, provides guidelines for short-term rentals of less than one month. These guidelines include a requirement for hosts to obtain a license and establish a cap on the number of licenses granted for whole-home rentals operating more than 20 days per year.
Press Club presents ‘The Art of Science Reporting’
The San Diego Press Club will host a virtual panel discussion about “The Art of Science Reporting” on Monday, Nov. 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. This webinar is part of the ongoing Press Club “Nuts and Bolts” professional development series and is designed to present learning opportunities based on industry trends. The panel event will feature reporters Gary Robbins, Jonathan Wosen and Melissa T. Miller, who will share how they are meeting challenges as they effectively cover science issues. The event is open to the public and free to attend. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3Oxgmht
NCTD awarded funding for Escondido
transit-oriented development
The North County Transit District has received $240,000 from the Federal Transit Administration to study the feasibility of exchanging parcels of land with the City of Escondido near the Transit Center to enhance the amount of developable land at the site. The total study will cost $300,000. NCTD and the City of Escondido will provide the remaining $60,000.
You’re invited to ‘Holiday Spectacular’ event
Plaza Paseo Real, a neighborhood shopping center in Carlsbad, invites the community to a family-friendly “Holiday Spectacular” event on Sunday, Dec. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature photo opportunities with Santa, holiday kids crafts and activities, face painting, balloon twisting and more. This event is free and open to the public; no pre-registration is required. To learn more, visit www.plazapaseoreal.com/events.
The Rady Children’s Ice Rink open until Jan. 8, 2023
The Rady Children’s Ice Rink, now in its 26th season, is located in the Central Promenade at Arts District Liberty Station. It opened on Nov. 17 and runs until Jan. 8. Last season, more than 47,000 visitors laced up their skates and helped raise funds for the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children’s Hospital. More than $2 million has been raised from the Ice Rink in the past 25 years. The rink is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Day).
