Opinion: San Francisco’s Mission Bay life science sector: pivoting with the times
Twenty years ago, San Francisco’s Mission Bay was an industrial zone filled with shipyards and railroad tracks. It was sluggish by day and deserted by night. Today, it is a vibrant health and biotech hub that continues to evolve. A note to the media: Don’t box us in.
When my company, Bayer, relocated its California research and innovation teams to Mission Bay in 2010, the decision was based on the thriving ecosystem in place. A big draw was new facilities built and occupied by the University of California, San Francisco. With the draw of its talent pool at our doorstep, and the energy of biotech activities planned for the surrounding area, it was a no-brainer to invest in this innovation hub. However, as some San Francisco-based reporters have pointed out, Mission Bay has attracted a wider group of companies, notably in technology, that may be squeezing out some biotech companies.
