Daily Business Report: February 2, 2024
Engineering a smart and robust
protective body armor
By Taylor Slane | SDSU
What if there was a way to strengthen our understanding of the impact football players undergo? Or, to create elderly protective gear that alerts help upon a fall? What if we could produce a smart spacesuit material that monitors force and shields astronauts?
San Diego State University engineers are creating an advanced sensing technology with a lightweight, organic material (cuttlefish bone) to 3D print and advance body protection gear with alarm systems and data collection capabilities built in.
In an October 2023 Nature Communications publication, a team led by mechanical engineering professors Yang Yang and Wenwu Xu outlined how their material can advance outdated body protection used in such industries as sports, military, medicine, and aerospace.
Innovation inspired by the sea. Durable. Lightweight. Versatile. Sustainable. These are the words used to describe the cuttlefish bone.
Some cuttlefish species live as deep as 2,000 feet under the ocean. In order to withstand the high water pressure, they exhibit a uniquely stiff and chambered wall-septa microstructure that absorbs energy in their high stress environments.
This was a key point of inspiration for the engineers, as they became fascinated by its functional structure.
Top Photo: From left: SDSU doctoral student Qingqing He, Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering Yang Yang and USC graduate student Yushun Zeng in the laboratory. (Taylor Slane/SDSU)
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Californians bought record numbers of
electric cars as industry eyes shutdown
By Alejandro Lazo | CalMatters
Has California’s transition to electric cars hit some bumps in the road? Even though Californians are buying them in record numbers, several industry setbacks have been reported in recent months.
The rental car company Hertz is selling about a third of its global electric vehicle fleet, replacing them with gas-powered vehicles. Ford in January announced that it was reducing production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck after scaling it up last year..
Tesla sales in California dropped 10 percent in the last three months of 2023, when compared to the same quarter a year earlier, according to data from the California New Car Dealers Association. And some automakers last year announced production cutbacks and delays in new electric models.
On Thursday, the California Energy Commission provided another piece of the puzzle: Sales of electric cars in California reached record levels last year, with 446,961 sold, up 29 percent from 2022, according to Veloz, a nonprofit that works with the commission to promote electric vehicle growth in California.
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Qualcomm reports double-digit Q1 growth in handsets and automotive
Growth in its handset and automotive businesses led Qualcomm to first quarter 2024 revenues of $9.9 billion across its licensing and connectivity segments. The company reported 16 percent growth in handsets and 31 percent growth in automotive compared to the same quarter last year. The company acknowledged industry-wide softness in IoT (which Qualcomm breaks down into consumer, industrial and edge networking), but sees opportunities around AI-enabled PCs using its Snapdragon X Elite platform featuring the Oryon CPU, and as devices featuring 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) silicon hit the market.
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Paper calls for patient-first regulation of AI in health care
By Mika Ono | UC San Diego
Ever wonder if the latest and greatest artificial intelligence (AI) tool you read about in the morning paper is going to save your life? A new study published in JAMA led by John W. Ayers, of the Qualcomm Institute within UC San Diego, finds that question can be difficult to answer since AI products in health care do not universally undergo an externally evaluated approval process assessing how it might benefit patient outcomes before coming to market.
The paper in JAMA describes how, despite widespread enthusiasm about artificial intelligence’s potential to revolutionize health care and the use of AI-powered tools on millions of patients already, no federal regulations require that AI-powered tools be evaluated for potential harm or benefit to patients.
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Credit union celebrates 2024 Lunar New Year
by offering red envelopes for members
San Diego County Credit Union customers who celebrate the Lunar New Year can pick up red envelopes at any of the more than 40 Southern California branch locations. The Lunar New Year is Feb. 10, 2024, and it is the Year of the Dragon.
Based on the lunar calendar, Lunar New Year takes place on a different date each year. Traditionally, red envelopes are given to children by their parents or elder family members wishing them prosperity and good luck in the coming year. The red envelopes (traditionally known as hong bao or lai see) always have money enclosed and are believed to bring happiness and luck to the recipients.
Each year of the 12-year cycles is represented by a Chinese zodiac animal, and characteristics are associated with each zodiac birth year. The dragon symbolizes courage, creativity and innovation, and people born in the Year of the Dragon are seen as charismatic, ambitious, adventurous and fearless.
To find a SDCCU location to pick up your red envelopes, visit sdccu.com/locations.
Board of Supervisors approve new help for flood survivors
County Supervisors took new actions Tuesday to help people in communities flooded by last week’s torrential rains, starting with protecting them from unfair evictions and shifting $10 million in funds to support them. The board approved an ordinance prohibiting people who were affected by the floods, including in affected cities, of being evicted without just cause.
For other measures, click here.
City of San Diego to offer emergency grant funds
In an effort to support local businesses impacted by this week’s record storm, the City of San Diego will launch an emergency response grant to provide funds for up to 100 small businesses and nonprofits. The Business Emergency Response & Resilience Grant will make financial assistance available with up to $2,500 per business and up to $5,000 for businesses and nonprofits in the federally designated Promise Zone and Low-Moderate Income Census tract areas. For more information, visit SanDiego.gov/storm.
Innovive announces major environmental milestones
Innovive is proud to announce major environmental milestones achieved by the Closed-Loop Recycling program operated by its sister company, Innocycle. From January 2022 through December 2023, the program has made significant contributions to environmental sustainability, including recycling 2.3 million pounds of plastic, diverting 5.7 million pounds of bedding, and reducing 1,720.95 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
DermTech to reduce workforce by 30 employees
DermTech Inc., a leader in precision dermatology enabled by a non-invasive skin genomics technology, announced additional restructuring actions to prioritize revenue growth, streamline operations and further reduce overall operating expenses. These additional restructuring actions will primarily affect operations, but impact the entire organization, and will result in a workforce reduction of approximately 30 employees, or approximately 15 percent of DermTech’s workforce.
Cue Health to participate at the BTIG MedTech conference
Cue Health, a health care technology company, announced that its management team will participate at the BTIG MedTech, Digital Health, Life Science & Diagnostic Tools Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Cue Health platform offers individuals and health care providers personalized access to lab-quality diagnostic tests at home and at the point-of-care, as well as on-demand telehealth consultations and treatment options for a wide range of health and wellness needs.
New Career Technical Education building to open in Vista
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, students and staff from Rancho Buena Vista High School, along with Vista Unified School District leadership and city officials, will celebrate the opening of a new Career Technical Education building at1601 Longhorn Drive, Vista. The 9,000-square-foot facility, part of the district’s Measure LL Bond project, offers high school students comprehensive training in construction and welding, classes that connect directly to in-demand career pathways in San Diego County.
La Jolla’s Georges at the Cove to celebrate 40th anniversary
La Jolla’s Georges at the Cove will celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout 2024 with an alumni chef dinner series beginning Feb. 19. The 2019 MICHELIN-recognized restaurant was founded by George Hauer in 1984, and the returning chefs for the prix fixe events have a combined eight MICHELIN stars. Georges opened its doors at 1250 Prospect St. in downtown La Jolla on Aug. 9, 1984. The restaurant went on to earn Plate recognition in the MICHELIN guidebook in 2019.
MiraCosta College is celebrating its 90th anniversary
MiraCosta College is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a yearlong event commemorating a legacy of accessible education in North County. The college, originally in Oceanside High School, now serves 27,000 students across four campuses and is known for its commitment to equity and excellence. The celebration will feature completed construction projects, symbolizing the promise of quality education.
Two North County nonprofits each receives
$100,000 from Rancho Santa Fe Foundation
Two North County San Diego nonprofits, A Step Beyond and Casa de Amistad, are the recipients of six-figure grants from Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. These are the very first recipients of the Foundation’s new Advancing Education program. These grants, which are $100,000 for each organization, are unrestricted awards giving the organizations the autonomy to shape their projects in response to the specific needs of the communities they serve.
Region awarded $53 million for bridge replacement
The North County Transit District (NCTD) and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) announced the award of a $53.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program to replace the 108-year-old San Dieguito River Railway Bridge in Del Mar. Replacement of this bridge is part of Phase II of the San Dieguito Bridge Replacement, Double Track and Special Events Platform Project.
