Cluster Development

Clusters are specific industry verticals or groupings that address a specific technological niche. While continuing to be open to new and emerging clusters, CONNECT undertakes the responsibility of supporting, developing, and accelerating a variety of clusters.

An industry cluster is a group who share common goals and also common needs. Clusters need open forums for debate and knowledge transfer, creation of bridges to access capital, one voices advocating on their behalf. These are all things that CONNECT does on a day to day basis, and as such it makes sense that CONNECT would leverage its educational and mentoring resources to address a specific niche industry community. Through CONNECT’s involvement, the clusters growth and development is greatly accelerated.

Below are the clusters CONNECT has undertook to grow, develop, and accelerate:

ACTION & SPORT INNOVATORS

ASI is dedicated to promoting San Diego's action & sport industry through the application of CONNECT's established education, business development, and networking practices. ASI connects entrepreneurs with access to capital, best in class service providers and industry networking opportunities. Mentors from well established, respected, and successful companies are brought in to share their business development and management experiences with the next generation of action and sport entrepreneurs.

AEROSPACE & AVIATION FORUM

San Diego once stood at the forefront of Aviation and Aerospace technology. Through globalization new emerging centers for Aviation and Aerospace technology are emerging. CONNECT strives to revitalize the Aviation and Aerospace community once again crowning San Diego as the innovation headquarter for the cluster.

CLEANTECH SAN DIEGO

Clean Technology is an exciting and opportunity filled emerging cluster. Through the federal and state governments' massive new support for the industry, clean technology stands as the next great venture opportunity for the next decade. CONNECT aims to incubate CleanTECH San Diego from within, leveraging CONNECT’s knowledge and experience in business creation and capital formation.

STEM CELL MEETING ON THE MESA

Each year the La Jolla Torrey Pines Mesa region, a powerhouse of stem cell research, host the Stem Cells Meeting on the Mesa. With this region leading California in grants and funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, this event draws researchers and decision makers from the entire nation.

PEPTIDE THERAPEUTICS SYMPOSIUM

For the past 20 years, there has been a wave of research aimed at developing innovative medicines to improve lives. The Peptide Therapeutics Symposium brings together leading researchers from academia, research and biotech industries from around the world with the purpose of illustrating the power and flexibility of peptides as therapeutic agents.

WIRELESS-LIFE SCIENCES ALLIANCE

San Diego is simultaneously the world’s largest wireless business cluster while becoming an emerging hub for pharmaceutical research and development, and medical device and diagnostic start-ups. This makes our region a perfect focal point for discovery, collaboration, acceleration, and convergence for the wireless and life sciences.