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Forging a stronger Northern Santa Barbara County

Manufacturing & Tech Initiative

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Forum Puts Manufacturing on the Radar

EconAlliance Forum Kicks Off Manufacturing Week

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High-Tech / Advanced Manufacturing

EconAlliance is dedicated to retaining and expanding high-tech and advanced manufacturing to Northern Santa Barbara County. The sector plays an important and unique role, supporting multiple industries with components, instruments, and finished products.

Northern Santa Barbara County boasts several industry-leading manufacturing companies driving innovation both locally and around the world (Hardy Diagnostics – microbiology products; Safran Cabin – aircraft interiors; Buellton Advanced Materials/Lockheed Martin – thin film coating, Mob Armor – mobile device mounting solutions). These companies and other manufacturers provide jobs at every level – entry to C-Suite. Often promoting from in-house, these companies assure North County’s less-skilled workers training, advancement, and opportunity.

North County manufacturers and high-tech firms are also among the important companies offering professionally trained engineers, scientists and technologists high-paying jobs in a desirable, scenic, rural area. Because manufacturers support a wide variety of other industries, from agriculture to aerospace to healthcare, the diversity of customers protects the area economy from shocks that affect a single sector.

Local business and civic leaders were given a glimpse into the future of technology a EconAlliance’s very first Future Forum in 2016, hosted at the Radisson Hotel. The event is part of a slate of EconAlliance events for “Possibility Thinkers Launching a High-Performance Community.”

At the gathering — which brought experts in innovation in the fields of nanotechnology and housing and neighborhood planning to Santa Maria — the northern Santa Barbara County nonprofit economic development group also gave out its inaugural Innovation Award.

“The purpose of the award is to recognize and encourage these organizations that are doing some tremendous things in northern Santa Barbara County. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we do here. That is what tonight is about,” said Ben Oakley, EconAlliance board member.

EconAlliance picked Space Information Labs as the recipient of its inaugural Innovation Award.

2016

EconAlliance hosts first Future Forum to highlight new technology and innovative thinkers.

2018 - 2019

EconAlliance hosts its second and third annual Future Forums.

2020

A fourth Future Forum is hosted, virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

2021

The fifth Future Forum is hosted by EconAlliance, in person again.

EconAlliance is committed to directly supporting the area’s high-tech and advanced manufacturing companies, and also the critical workforce education, transportation and communications infrastructure, and trade initiatives that make this industry a vibrant, valuable, and resilient component of the local economy.