Guest Perspective: Viewpoint: My Confidence in Bay Area Biotech is Unshaken

"Near-term pressures like layoffs, company closures and rising lab vacancies do not tell the full story of the life sciences sector in San Mateo County. Companies and institutions are still making significant, long-term investments in the region in a signal that the underlying strengths that have made the Peninsula a center of biotechnology remain firmly in place.

Genentech⁠, for example, is moving forward with a major redevelopment of its South San Francisco campus. Gilead continues to expand its Foster City headquarters, with new research and manufacturing facilities underway. Natera signed a long-term lease for additional space in San Carlos earlier this year, while UCSF Health⁠ is planning a major clinical support facility at South San Francisco’s Oyster Point. 

These investments do not mean the current market challenges are over. They do, however, show that companies and institutions with long planning horizons continue to see San Mateo County, and the Bay Area at large, as a place to invest, operate and grow."