Daily Business Report: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Boeing delivers powerful satellite platform to Viasat
Boeing delivered the most powerful satellite platform the company has built to date, the ViaSat-3 Americas, a custom-designed spacecraft, to network provider Viasat, based in Carlsbad.
Upon embarking from the Boeing factory in California, ViaSat-3 Americas was flown to the Florida Space Coast where Boeing and Viasat teams will support launch and mission operations as the spacecraft prepares to travel to geostationary orbit, approximately 22,000 miles from Earth.
Once in orbit, ViaSat-3 Americas will be the first of three 702MP+ satellites to make up the ultra-high-capacity ViaSat-3 satellite constellation, designed to provide high-quality, affordable global connectivity and coverage.
“We designed, built and delivered the most powerful satellite platform we have ever provided to a customer. The result really is an engineering marvel,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Space Mission Systems at Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We expanded the boundaries of our design and the platform components to exceed Viasat’s demanding mission requirements, while ensuring alignment with Boeing’s proven qualification and reliability standards.”
Photo: ViaSat-3 Americas, one of the most powerful satellite platforms Boeing has ever built, in the Boeing El Segundo, Calif. satellite factory. (Courtesy Boeing)
Biden picks longtime DOJ prosecutor,
advisor as San Diego U.S. attorney
President Joe Biden will nominate Tara K. McGrath to become the new U.S. attorney in San Diego, finally moving to fill a position that oversees one of the busiest federal court districts in the nation, the White House announced Monday.
McGrath worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego for more than a decade before spending the past four years working for the U.S. Department of Justice as a legal adviser for the Marine Corps, of which she is a veteran.
If her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, McGrath will take over for Randy Grossman, who has led the office for the past two years — first through an appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland and later an appointment by the judges of the district while Biden considered an official selection.
Winners of San Diego International Airport’s
2023 Fly Quiet Awards are announced
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority announced the winners of the 2023 Fly Quiet Awards, which recognize airlines for their efforts to reduce noise during arrivals and departures at San Diego International Airport.
Southwest Airlines received the highest Fly Quiet Score in the large domestic carrier category for its continued use of the Boeing 737 MAX, a newer and quieter aircraft.
Spirit Airlines won in the small domestic carrier category for flying more than half of its overall flights at the airport with newer and quieter aircraft.
DHL, operated by iAero, won the air cargo carrier category for its use of quieter aircraft, the Boeing 737-800, no noise curfew violations, and the lowest noise exceedance score among air cargo carriers.
Lufthansa won the international carrier category, achieving the best overall score in all categories. The airline utilizes the Airbus 350-900, which is a newer and quieter aircraft and has never had a curfew violation while operating at the airport.
Girl Scouts San Diego to honor
local female leaders as ‘Cool Women’
Girl Scouts San Diego will honor five of the “coolest women in the region” alongside 35 Emerging Leader Girl Scouts at the 23rd annual Cool Women Celebration on Friday at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina on Harbor Island. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The honorees:
• Rashmi Char, vice president of engineering, Qualcomm
• Liza Crisafi, chief investment officer, San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (ret.)
• Norma Diaz, chief executive officer, Community Health Group
• Kimberley Layton, chief advancement and communications officer, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, former vice president of external affairs, Los Angeles Charger
• Deanna Mackey, general manager, KPBS
Girl Scouts San Diego will also recognize 35 Emerging Leader Girl Scouts in grades 10-12, who strive to be strong leaders of courage, confidence, and character. Before the event, Emerging Leaders attended workshops to build skills in networking, business etiquette, and public speaking, and received mentoring from the Cool Women and other local female leaders.
To ward off aging, stem cells must take out the trash
Scientists find stem cells’ unique way of discarding misfolded proteins
By Nicole Mlynaryk
In humanity’s ongoing quest for the elixir of life, the science keeps pointing to stem cells. Research increasingly shows that maintaining stem cell fitness promotes a long healthspan, and new findings show keeping stem cells clean and tidy is an integral step.
In a study published March 21, 2023 in Cell Stem Cell,
researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that blood stem cells use an unexpected method to get rid of their misfolded proteins, and that this pathway’s activity degrades with age. The authors say boosting this specialized garbage disposal system could help protect against age-related diseases.
Northrop Grumman to produce
MESA for the U.S. Air Force E-7
Northrop Grumman Corporation will enter into production of the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor for the U.S. Air Force E-7 aircraft.
As part of the E-7 weapons system, the combat proven MESA sensor will provide critical long range sensing, detection and identification in challenging environments equipping the U.S. Air Force with simultaneous air and maritime sensing capabilities, critical early warning and air battle management capabilities.
MESA allows operators to simultaneously focus on priority missions, rapidly revisit targets with increased accuracy and pass relevant information to enable timely Battle Management Command and Control decisions.
Evofem Biosciences announces
cost reduction measures
SAN DIEGO — Evofem Biosciences Inc., announced it has implemented measures to lower its operating expenses, with the goal of reaching cash flow break even by year-end 2023. These measures include a 39 percent reduction of payroll expenses through a combination of: Salary cuts for certain employees, including a 40 percent reduction in chief executive officer compensation and a 20 percent reduction in pay for other continuing members of the executive team vs. prior year levels; Elimination of eight office and management positions, including the chief commercial officer role.
The Deerborne Group announces global expansion plans
SAN DIEGO — The Deerborne Group, a precision diagnostics management consultancy, has announced plans to double its global base of independent consultants and to introduce a new suite of innovative service offerings. The company employs a network-based model to staff engagements based on client needs. The firm is funded and structured to support aggressive yet sustainable growth, and is now actively recruiting top-tier, independent consultants with hands-on industry expertise.
International Game Technology to
showcase portfolio March 27-30
SAN DIEGO — International Game Technology PLC will showcase its portfolio of compelling new games, cabinets, systems, and sports betting solutions for tribal gaming customers at the 2023 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention March 27-30 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Wildfire Systems named top
retail company by CB Insights
SAN DIEGO — Wildfire Systems, an innovative fintech platform that powers white-label rewards programs and shopping platforms, has been named to the CB Insights third annual Retail Tech 100, which showcases the 100 most promising private retail tech companies in the world. Wildfire was recognized by CB Insights for its role in digital customer engagement. The category, which included Wildfire and 15 additional industry leaders, is the biggest category in this year’s list.
Debut and DIC Corporation
establish strategic partnership
SAN DIEGO — Debut, a vertically integrated, synthetic biology company, together with longtime partner and a global leader in fine chemicals DIC Corporation, announced an agreement to biomanufacture and sell a large number of sustainably produced, rare, and natural polyphenol ingredients. This strategic partnership brings novel, high-performing, and clinically backed polyphenols to consumers for the first time and opens new product possibilities and health benefits for brands and consumers globally.
Sempra launches Port Arthur LNG project
SAN DIEGO — Sempra announced that its 70 percent-owned subsidiary, Sempra Infrastructure Partner LP reached a positive final investment decision for the development, construction and operation of the Port Arthur LNG Phase 1 project in Jefferson County, Texas. Sempra Infrastructure closed its joint venture with an affiliate of ConocoPhillips as well as announced an agreement to sell an indirect, non-controlling interest in the project to an infrastructure fund managed by KKR.
ATX records first customer
shipments of Digital Return Solution
SAN DIEGO — ATX Networks, a global leader in broadband access and media distribution solutions, recently shipped production units of the ATX 204MHz Digital Return Solution to a large North American cable operator. The solution includes the GigaXtend 204MHz Digital Return Transmitter Module, a plug-in for the Cisco GS7000 Node, and the companion GigaXtend 204MHz Digital Return Receiver Module, which resides in a headend-located Cisco Prisma XD chassis.
Cellipont receives OrbiMed investment
POWAY —Cellipont Bioservices, a cell therapy contract development and manufacturing organization, announced a strategic debt facility investment from OrbiMed, a health care investment firm. The investment will be used by Cellipont to fully finance the previously announced state-of-the-art commercial facility for cell therapies and gene-modified cell therapies in The Woodlands, Texas. Cellipont first announced plans to develop the new facility in August 2022, with construction set to be completed in several phases.
ACE Parking surpasses one million all-electric,
zero-emission miles with Lightning shuttle buses
SAN DIEGO — Lightning eMotors, a leading provider of zero-emission, medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle technology for fleets, announced that Lightning customer ACE Parking’s San Diego Airport fleet of ZEV4 and ZEV5 shuttle buses have surpassed one million all-electric, zero-emission miles. Lightning delivered 16 Class 4 ZEV4 and 8 Class 5 ZEV5 electric shuttle buses to ACE Parking in 2020. Since deployment, the fleet has transported more than 1.5 million passengers over one million miles and mitigated over 1,050 tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.
Zura Bio Limited announces closing of
business combination with JATT Acquisition
SAN DIEGO — Zura Bio Limited, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced the closing of its business combination with JATT Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, on March 20, 2023. The business combination was approved on March 16 by JATT’s shareholders. Upon the completion of the business combination, JATT changed its name to Zura Bio Limited, and beginning on March 21, 2023, the ordinary shares and warrants of the combined company are expected to begin trading under the new ticker symbols, “ZURA” and “ZURAW,” respectively, on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Vektor Medical to present results
of vMap arrhythmia mapping system
SAN DIEGO — Vektor Medical, developer of the world’s only technology to rapidly map arrhythmias using just 12-lead ECG data, announced that use of the vMap arrhythmia mapping system during complex atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation was associated with significantly improved freedom from atrial arrhythmias compared with standard-of-care pulmonary vein isolation. The results will be presented at the Biomarkers and Personalized Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease Symposium March 25 in La Jolla.
