Riverside County Innovation Month Brochure

Riverside County is ready for you. Riverside County has seen significant growth and innovation in recent years, pushed by a combination of factors including its proximity to major economic centers, including its own development in innovation, its access to transportation infrastructure, and its efforts to attract and retain top talent. The county’s diversified economy, including healthcare, education, biotech, agriculture technology, logistics and warehousing, has helped to push economic growth and innovation, and the County’s investments in infrastructure are expected to continue to support these efforts in the future.

Our region is experiencing explosive growth and has immense opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to take their business to the next level. Local universities and innovation centers have a long tradition of research and excellence which is propelling the regional business ecosystem and driving job growth. — Agriculture — Biotech & Healthcare Welcome to Innovation WELCOME TO RIVERSIDE COUNTY

— Climate Technology — Natural Resources — Sustainable Transportation

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Throughout its history, Riverside County has been a home to innovators. It was within the County’s borders that the famous California Navel Oranges first took root, revolutionizing the citrus industry, and nearly 150 years later, innovation continues to sprout. Today, investors, visionaries and entrepreneurs are planting roots in Riverside County, giving the region a second wind as a center for innovation. Riverside County has built an ecosystem of Innovation Centers to welcome and attract entrepreneurs and support innovation. In the

last decade, these centers have helped to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for new ventures born in the County, but the potential is even greater. Last year, venture capital investment in California based start-ups was approximately $140 million, but that activity was concentrated in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Riverside County is starting to see more of its share of investment, thanks in large part to its network of Innovation Centers. The centers are also driving job growth throughout the County. Back in 2018, news first broke that the Inland Empire, which includes

both Riverside County and San Bernardino County, was outpacing the nation in tech job growth. That year, tech jobs grew 3.5% in the region, leading the state and, at second place, nearly leading the nation for tech job growth. It wasn’t a fluke. According to The Center for Social Innovation at University of California, Riverside, innovation-related jobs in Riverside County have grown 74% in the last five years.

Together, with state of the art living laboratories and a nascent tech innovation ecosystem, the region is facing a perfect opportunity to become a leader in climate tech and sustainability innovation.

Table of Contents

Welcome to Innovation ...................................................................... 4 Table of Contents......................................................................................................................6 Innovative Sectors in the County ..................................................10 Agricultural Technology........................................................................................................ 12 Biotech & Healthcare ............................................................................................................14 Climate Technology............................................................................................................... 16 Natural Resource Management.........................................................................................18 Sustainable Transportation ................................................................................................. 20 Talent/Education Pipeline ..............................................................22 Top Ranking K-12 Institutions ............................................................................................24

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Quality of Life..................................................................................... 26 Housing/Development .........................................................................................................28 Regional Amenities................................................................................................................ 30 Medical Facilities/Hospitals................................................................................................ 32 Economic Innovation ....................................................................... 34 Global Companies. Local Presence. ................................................................................. 36 Relocation Assistance Support.......................................................................................... 38 Business & Entrepreneurial Support ................................................................................. 40 Access to Capital ...................................................................................................................42 Innovative Organizations ..................................................................................................... 44

Success Stories ..................................................................................46 Basilard BioTech.....................................................................................................................48 FarmSense ..............................................................................................................................50 Sensorygen.............................................................................................................................. 52 StarNav .....................................................................................................................................54 Karma Innovation & Customization Center (KICC) ....................................................... 56 Edge Sound Research ..........................................................................................................58 Helicoid Industries ................................................................................................................. 60 Relay® On-Demand ..............................................................................................................62 GattaCo..................................................................................................................................... 64 SiLi-ion....................................................................................................................................... 66 Pharm Robotics .....................................................................................................................68 Murrieta Genomics................................................................................................................ 70 3C.Health.................................................................................................................................. 72 Contacts ...............................................................................................74

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Innovative Sectors in Riverside County

01 Agriculture

02 Biotech & Health

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Riverside County is advancing positive change through innovative verticals that make the greatest impact on our daily lives.

03 Clean Tech

04 Natural Resources

05 Sustainable Transportation

Agricultural Technology Tiny tomato plants developed at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), could one day feed astronauts on the International Space Station. The plants have minimal leaves and stems but still produce a normal amount of fruit, making them a potentially productive crop for cultivation anywhere with limited soil and natural resources. them also uniquely suited to growing in space. Dubbed Small Plants for Space Expeditions, or SPACE, plants by the researchers, the technology could be applied to other plants to develop a suite of crops for agriculture on the International Space Station and future space colonies.

home to several projects and is home to several active research projects that are being conducted on campus. From Agrobacterium Protocols using potatoes to in vitro Propagation of Macadamia, the PTRC lab is discovering new ways that plants can survive and thrive through evolving impacts of climate change to provide sustainable solutions for 9 billion people on earth by the year 2050.

Something as simple as tomatoes, genetically engineered, aren’t the only thing coming out of the Riverside agricultural powerhouse; the university’s Plant Transformation Research Center (PTRC) is

Now, with a grant from the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health, UCR researchers will tweak the tomatoes to make

Astronauts might soon grow SPACE tomatoes developed at UCR’s Plant Transformation Research Center.

NASA grant to UC Riverside to help put tiny tomato plants on the International Space Station

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The College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) is home to world-renowned scholars pursuing research that deepens our knowledge of the universe we live in and improves the quality of life for inhabitants of the state, the nation, and the world. Central to this research is educating the students who come to CNAS to learn about science and who leave with an integrated approach to how they can change the world. These students, and the faculty who teach them, benefit from a structure that is unique among land-grant colleges: CNAS’s 13 departments encompass the life, physical, mathematical, and agricultural sciences. ALUMINUM RESISTANCE IN PLANTS: Principal Investigator, Paul Larsen, developed a prototype crop and validated the technology. One project objective was to modify maize to be tolerant to aluminum toxicity in soils. In addition, through this tolerance mode of action, enhanced levels of plant-based carbon are added to the soil which could significantly contribute to the effort to capture and sequester atmospheric CO2 and reduce the rate of global warming. AFTER WILDFIRES, DO MICROBES EXHALE POTENT GREENHOUSE GAS? : A research team CARBON CAPTURE AND THE

led by UC Riverside mycologist Sydney Glassman will spend the next three years answering this question, examining how bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea work together in post-fire soils to affect nitrous oxide emissions.

Their work is supported by a new $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. “Nitrogen in the form of nitrous oxide, and the microbes that regulate it, are a less well-studied aspect of the problem, but an aspect we must solve to more fully understand how the planet is changing, and how much we can expect it to keep changing,” she said. The fires themselves send warming gases into the atmosphere, but they also irretrievably change the soil microbiome. In the post-fire environment, ‘fire loving’ microbes that were previously undetectable take over, with unknown results.

Agricultural Innovation within Riverside County, at the UCR research center.

Biotech & Healthcare

The biotechnology theme encompasses research in all aspects of biotechnology including healthcare, agriculture, industrial chemistry, and biofuels applications.

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COVID-19 highlights what we have yet to learn about lung mechanics. Principal Investigator, Mona Eskandari, Bourns College of Engineering, is working on ways to pre-screen patients with difficulty breathing for earlier intervention. “If we know how much force the lungs can endure, we can improve ventilator use by establishing oxygenation strategies that avoid injury,” said Eskandari. “The respiratory-damaging nature of COVID-19 has highlighted the vulnerabilities associated with our modern understanding of pulmonary biomechanics.”

The UCR School of Medicine welcomed its first class of students in the fall of 2013, but the dream of teaching physicians at University of California, Riverside (UCR) dates back to 1971, when then Chancellor Ivan Hinderaker first presented the idea of building a medical education program in Inland Southern CA. The UCR/UCLA Program in Biomedical Sciences was established in 1974 with a dual goal of recruiting outstanding students to UCR and increasing the number of medical students entering clinical training at UCLA. Students in the program completed their undergraduate work and the first two years of their medical education at UCR, then transferred to UCLA for their third and fourth years, earning their M.D. from the David Geffen School of Medicine. The success of the Haider Program served as the

foundation for the development of the UCR School of Medicine. In 2003, then-Chancellor France A. Córdova brought together a blue-ribbon panel to begin the planning process for a 4 year medical school. In July 2008, the UC Regents approved UCR’s proposal for a school of medicine and by Feb. 2010 Dr. G. Richard Olds, was the founding dean & vice chancellor of health affairs. The faculty of the Division of Biomedical Sciences are well known in their areas of research specialization, including:

„ Center for RNA Biology and Medicine „ Device to test for Pulmonary Function Exposure & Health Effects „ Phonon Optimized Engineered Materials (POEM) Center „ Tissue Regenerative Engineering & Mechanotransduction Laboratory „ World Phytophthora Genetic Resource Collection „ UCR Health „ Breathe: Bridging Regional Ecology, Aerosolized Toxins, & Health Effects „ Cell Sorter Core Facility „ Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy & Microanalysis

„ Anthropology Labs „ Center for Advanced Neuroimaging

„ Histology Core Facility „ Life Sciences Incubator „ Multiphoton Core Facility

„ Center for Disease and Vector Research „ Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions „ Center for Healthy Communities „ Center for Health Disparities Research „ Center for Molecular & Translational Medicine

„ N-Counter Sprint Profiler Core Facility „ School of Medicine — Thomas Haider Program „ BCOE Makerspace

Clean Technology

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has designed, developed and built one of the world’s leading technology, research & development centers for clean tech. Located in the heart of Riverside, in partnership with the University of California, Riverside. The state-of-the-art Southern California Headquarters is designed to carry CARB’s acclaimed research and vehicle emissions testing into the future. The new structure, designed to house research and testing of next generation vehicles, continues a more than 50 year legacy of CARB’s previous labs where CARB set groundbreaking pollution standards for cars and trucks. “Every element of the new Southern California Headquarters – Mary D. Nichols Campus, from the laboratory and vehicle test cells to the

stunning architecture, reflects the high standards and notable achievements CARB is recognized for around the world,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “This new headquarters will be the incubator of innovative regulatory thinking and research, playing a pivotal role in the transition of transportation in California to zero-emission technologies. That will ensure that we accelerate our actions to protect those communities hardest hit by emissions from heavy truck traffic and freight transport.” The campus is named in honor of CARB’s former Chair Mary D. Nichols whose career at CARB spanned four decades under three different California governors. Nichols is known worldwide for her unwavering commitment to air quality and public health and spearheaded much of California’s progress towards those goals.

The 19-acre campus is located on land donated by UCR and encompasses a cutting-edge laboratory and advanced chemistry area, as well as administrative space for approximately 460 employees.

At 402,000 square feet, the new CARB Center is designed to be the largest zero net energy building in the United States.

Producing as much energy as it uses, aided by solar arrays throughout the campus that generate 3.5 Megawatts of electricity, and a chilled beam temperature management system that provides increased energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

Natural Resource Management

UCR’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) With more than 29,000 acres of laboratory,

30,100 alumni, 2 Nobel Laureates and 14 National Academies members on the faculty, CNAS seeks to expand fundamental scientific knowledge in the biological, physical, mathematical, and agricultural sciences and to find innovative ways to apply that knowledge through teaching and public service.

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Our commitment to managing our natural resources and putting them to their best use will affect the current and future quality of life. New approaches are essential to improve air quality research and monitoring, water management, and water purification; while addressing wildfire effects, climate mitigation, and land desertification. UCR’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY (CE-CERT)

CE-CERT’s mission is to be a recognized leader in environmental education, a collaborator with industry and government to improve the technical basis for regulations and policy, a creative source of new technology, and a contributor to a better understanding of the environment. Established in 1992 and now operating as the largest research center at the University of California, Riverside, CE-CERT brings together multiple disciplines throughout campus to address society’s most pressing environmental challenges in air quality,

climate change, energy, and transportation.

The Engineering Center’s current studies include: „ Pollution Formation in the Atmosphere „ Emissions & Fuels „ Exposure and Heath Effects „ R’Water is a UCR collaborative initiative to improve research, education, and water management policies in California and beyond.

Housed in the Bourns College of Engineering,

Infrastructure has been established in the County to tackle certain components of Natural Resource Management as well as Research. • Alternative Earths Astrobiology Center • Botanic Gardens • Center for Conservation Biology (CCB)

• Center for Integrative Biological Collections • Earth & Planetary Sciences Research Museum • Entomology Research Museum • Environmental Sciences • Facility for Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) • Herbarium • Natural Reserves • Salinity Lab • Spatial Eco-Informatics Facility • California Naturalists Program (UCR Palm Desert Center)

Sustainable Transportation

UC Riverside is a leading research institute in the area of over the road/real-world vehicle testing.

The Emissions and Fuels research team at CE-CERT, including national and international research leaders, is applying advanced technologies and methods to the measurement of emissions from all types of engines, including cars and light-duty trucks, heavy-duty freight trucks, construction equipment, and the large engines that power marine vessels.

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CE-CERT is a collaborative research center focused on air quality, transportation, and energy.

CE-CERT is addressing this issue by accelerating the transition to renewable energy through technologies that create energy from waste, capitalize on the sustainable energy sources that exist in nature, and explore methods to store, allocate, and integrate renewable energy with existing infrastructure.

Over the past 5 years, UC Riverside has played a central role in the validation of portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) for use in EPA’s in-use testing program of heavy-duty vehicles through the Measurement Allowance Program. UCR participated in the in-use testing and validation portion of this program utilizing UC Riverside’s Mobile Emissions Laboratory (MEL). The MEL is a full dilution system equipped in a 53’ trailer that is 1065 compliant and was cross correlated twice with Southwest Research Institute as part of the Measurement Allowance program. The in-use evaluations and validation played a critical role in developing the Measurement

Allowance values for both gas-phase and Particulate Matter (PM) PEMS. UC Riverside has also been a leading research institute in the characterization of in-use emissions using PEMS and the MEL. This has included measurements of light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, construction equipment, ships, port support equipment, trains, and even jet aircraft. As part of these studies, UC Riverside has constructed some of the most comprehensive PEMs systems. This includes a PEMS system based around the AVL’s microsoot sensor (MSS) with either an AVL or Sensor Inc. gas-phase PEMS. The AVL MSS was the best performing instrument for in

use PM measurements in EPAs Measurement Allowance program. UCR has utilized this system installed on construction equipment as part of programs for CARB and Caltrans, as well as for on-road truck testing as part of the Measurement Allowance and other programs. UC Riverside has a separate PEMS system based on a Horiba PG350 portable multi-gas analyzer for steady state measurements in compliance with ISO 8178. This PEMS system has been utilized for testing on ships, of generators, and port support equipment. UC Riverside has developed protocols for technology verifications of emission control technologies for such applications as generators, marine vessels, and rubber tire gantry cranes.

Talent/Education Pipeline According to the 2020 US Census, there were 158,441 Riverside County residents enrolled in four-year undergraduate institutions. From 2016 to 2020, associate degrees completed increased by 91%, bachelors by 57.6%, masters by 51.2%, and doctorates by 47.6%. In 2020, in Riverside County education Institutions there were 12,460 associate degrees awarded and 7,888 bachelors, 2,064 masters and 363 doctorates.

UCR is ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide.

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Regional Non-Vocational Institutions

Top Ranking K-12 Institutions

01 Murrieta Valley Unified School District Murrieta Valley Unified School District is ranked #1 of all school districts within Riverside County and #47 in CA. A Overall Niche Grade

02 Temecula Valley Unified School District Temecula Valley Unified School District is ranked #2 of all school districts within Riverside County and #80 in CA. A Overall Niche Grade

03 Corona-Norco Unified School District

04 Desert Sands Unified School District

A Overall Niche Grade

B+ Overall Niche Grade

Corona-Norco Unified School District is ranked #3 of all school districts within Riverside County and #86 in CA.

Desert Sands Unified School District is ranked #4 of all school districts within Riverside County and #134 in CA.

05 Riverside Unified School District

06 Val Verde Unified School District

B+ Overall Niche Grade

B+ Overall Niche Grade

Riverside Unified School District is ranked #5 of all school districts within Riverside County and #150 in CA.

Val Verde Unified School District is ranked #6 of all school districts within Riverside County and #165 in CA.

Rankings are according to 2022 data via Niche.com

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According to the US Census, in 2020 there were 456,419 children enrolled in k-12 education in Riverside County. Included in this count are 25 School Districts and 490 Schools.

(Ed-data.org, school year 2020-21)

07 Nuview Union School District

08 Palm Springs Unified School District

B+ Overall Niche Grade

B Overall Niche Grade

Nuview Union School District is ranked #7 of all school districts within Riverside County and #209 in CA.

Palm Springs Unified School District is ranked #8 of all school districts within Riverside County and #220 in CA.

Quality of Life

Riverside County is the fastest growing large county in California. ( COUNTIES OVER 1 MILLION POPULATION - 2020 TO 2021) 26

2.5 Million TOTAL POPULATION $79,024 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

4 th Largest COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA 28% INCOME GROWTH (2015-2020)

10 th Largest COUNTY IN USA Top 11 % INCOME COUNTY IN USA

With a 2021 Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $104 billion, Riverside County is in the top 1.5% of all US Counties, ranking 44th out of 3,114. Riverside County had the 10th largest total GRP of all California Counties. Riverside County’s 2021 GRP is larger than 13 states. The Southern California region (LA, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and

Imperial counties) in 2021 made up 47.9% of California’s total GDP. For job growth, Riverside County grew county resident employment by 190,800 from April 2020 to April 2022, making the county the fourth fastest growing of all counties in California, regardless of size.

The top five fastest growing counties for this time period in resident employment includes our neighboring counties Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and San Bernardino. This makes Southern California the fastest growing job area in the state. Growing by over 1.6 million jobs from April 2020 to April 2022.

Sources: US Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census 2020, US Bureau of Economic Activity, State of California Employment Development Department

Housing/Development

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Fastest growing largest County in California by percentage of new housing built for counties over 1 million residents

$700K

68.7% HOMEOWNERSHIP PERCENT

$525K

$350K

THE HIGHEST HOMEOWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE OF ANY POPULOUS COUNTY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

$175K

$0

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Source: California Association of Realtors / Median Prices Historical Data

According to data from the California Department of Finance, housing in Riverside County grew by 15,235 units from April 1, 2020 to January 1, 2022. This makes Riverside County the fastest growing California County by percentage growth of counties over one million residents, and third fastest growing by housing count behind Los Angeles and San Diego Counties.

According to data from the California Department of finance, single family housing (attached and detached) grew by 12,339 units from April1 2020, to January 1, 2022. This makes Riverside County the fastest growing county for single family housing in the state.

Regional Amenities

Tourism has historically been a critical component of Riverside County’s economy with its direct and indirect job creation, sales tax revenue, and transient occupancy tax revenue. In 2022, Visit California released an economic impact study on California’s travel industry. The study estimated that in Riverside County, in 2021, the hospitality industry generated 80,600 direct jobs and direct travel spending was $8.6 billion.

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America’s hottest music festival destination is finally getting the world-class arena it deserves. Opened in December 2022, the Acrisure Arena provides the greater Palm Springs area of Southern California with a premiere 11,000+ capacity venue to host the biggest artists and acts on the planet. Designed specifically for hockey and concerts, the new arena provides top-tier hospitality, artist amenities, and all of the benefits of a modern music and sports venue. Acrisure Arena, when completed, will be the largest arena in the Palm Springs area.

With rivers, mountain peaks, deserts and fertile valleys, Riverside County offers diversity that few locations can match. Over two-and-a-half million people live in the County, who take advantage of nearby beaches, mountains, hiking and bike trails, the Temecula Valley Wine Country and resorts that offer oasis in the desert. Our mountain adventures provide enjoyment from water-sports to fishing, downhill bike riding in the fall months to skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and plenty of relaxation to go around. The desert oasis of Palm Springs is world renowned for its resorts and golf courses. Boasting over 100 golf courses, and the famous Coachella Valley Music Arts Festival, it is the go to vacation spot for visitors from around the world and you won’t find a greater selection of world class entertainment options anywhere else. Coachella, Stage Coach, Jazz in Pines, and

the Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival. Temecula Valley Wine Country hosts nearly 50 wineries matched with restaurants and entertainment that are world-renowned. Riverside County is home to one of the nation’s most diverse and reliable transportation networks. Including highways and express lanes, public buses, commuter rail trains and active transportation options serving bicyclists and pedestrians alike. Our freeway system connects other counties to Riverside County’s businesses, entertainment, and high quality of living. Significant investments have been made on a number of key corridors including State Route 91, Interstate 215, Interstate 10 and State Route 60. The thriving Riverside County economy is home to 74,906 businesses creating $104.5 Billion in Gross Regional Product (2021) and $78 Billion

in exports in 2020 alone which is in the top 1.5% of all US counties. With such a noteworthy gross regional product, global companies are flooding the region. Fortune 500 and privately held companies have chosen this region as their home for either corporate headquarters or for a regional office. A wide range of industries from service to entertainment, technology to automotive, and medical to aerospace. The wide range of industries in Riverside County support over 1,106,000 jobs (March 2023) bringing our current unemployment to 4.6% (EDD). If that wasn’t enough, there is so much more in the County to discover, from the famous Mission Inn in the city of Riverside, to the crystal clear lakes throughout the Temecula Valley — for those who enjoy time on the water.

Medical Facilities/Hospitals

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Hemet Global Medical Center 951-652-2811 www.hemetglobalmedcenter.com 1117 E Devonshire Ave. Hemet, CA 92543 Southwest Healthcare System 951-696-6000 www.swhealthcaresystem.com 25500 Medical Center Dr. Murrieta, CA 92562 Corona Regional Medical Center 951-737-4343 www.coronaregional.com 800 S Main St. Corona, CA 92882 Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center 951-688-2211 www.pchmc.org 3865 Jackson St. Riverside, CA 92503 Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta 951-290-4000

John F Kennedy Memorial Hospital 760-775-8111 www.desertcarenetwork.com 47111 Monroe St. Indio, CA 92201 Menifee Valley Medical Center 951-679-8888 www.menifeevalleymedicalcenter.com 28400 Mccall Blvd. Menifee, CA 92585 Temecula Valley Hospital 951-331-2200 www.temeculavalleyhospital.com 31700 Temecula Pkwy. Temecula, CA 92592 Kindred Hospital Riverside 951-436-3535 www.khriverside.com 2224 Medical Center Dr. Perris, CA 92571 Extended Care Hospital Of Riverside 951-687-3842 www.extendedcarehospital.com

Riverside Community Hospital 951-788-3000 www.riversidecommunityhospital.com 4445 Magnolia Ave. Riverside, CA 92501 Inland Valley Medical Center 951-677-1111 www.swhealthcaresystem.com 36485 Inland Valley Dr. Wildomar, CA 92595 Eisenhower Health 760-773-1221 www.eisenhowerhealth.org 39000 Bob Hope Dr. Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital

951-845-1121 www.sgmh.org 600 N Highland Springs Ave. Banning, CA 92220 SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Discover more about these programs by scanning the QR code. You will be redirected to the Riverside Innovation’s mobile and easy to use website.

murrieta.lluh.org 28062 Baxter Rd. Murrieta, CA 92563

8171 Magnolia Ave. Riverside, CA 92504

Economic Innovation Riverside County’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) reached $104.5 billion in 2021, an increase of over 26% from 2016, and regional Median Family Income grew by 36% from 2016 to 2021 according to the US Census Bureau. Riverside County has a median household income of $79,024 which places Riverside County in the top 11% of all US Counties.

68.7% HOMEOWNERSHIP PERCENT

Top 11%

36%

OF ALL US COUNTIES FOR MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME GROWTH (2016-2021)

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4.6% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN MARCH 2023

+ 29.3% LABOR FORCE GROWTH SINCE 2007

$104.5 BILLION GRP IN 2021

+ 37.3% GRP GROWTH SINCE 2007

Within Riverside County, according to the State of California Employment Development Department, nearly 75,000 business establishments are currently in operation. This makes Riverside the 4th fastest growing county in California. As of March 2023, Riverside County has an unemployment rate of 4.6, with over 1,106,000 Riverside County Residents employed.

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Global Companies. Local Presence. Numerous Fortune 500 and privately held companies have chosen this region as their home for either corporate headquarters or for a key regional office. Within Riverside County you will find a wide range of industries; from service to entertainment, technology to automotive, and medical to aerospace.

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Relocation Assistance Support Incentives Riverside County Office of Economic Development representatives will work with you to find an industrial building, commercial, land or retail site that meets your needs.

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ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS (OJT) On-the-Job Training allows a business to hire and train a new employee in the basic skills necessary to perform the job while working in the job. A business can receive up to 50% of the employee’s wages to help offset the cost of training and the loss of productivity. The Economic Development Rate Program (EDR-R) has discounts available to Southern California Edison (SCE) Bundled Service, Direct Access and Community Choice Aggregation general service business customers. As an eligible business customer, you may benefit from a five-year discount that would be applied to your electric bill. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON (SCE) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (EDS) Whether your business is encountering challenging detours, on the verge of expanding, or looking to relocate to Southern California, Economic Development Services (EDS) can help steer you in the right direction. The EDS team offers one-on-one specialized consulting for retention, attraction and expansion services at no cost to you. Once they assess your unique business issues, they will develop a package of incentives, tools, programs and cost-effective services that can reduce your cost of doing business in California—putting you in the driver’s seat. Plus, they’ll connect you with city, county, state and local partners who can provide the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON (SCE) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RATE (EDR-R)

SOCALGAS The Southern California Gas Company offers efficiency programs for businesses including: Small business equipment rebates, food-service equipment rebates, and rebates for suppliers and installers. SALES & USE TAX EXCLUSION PROGRAM (STE) FOR ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION AND ALTERNATIVE SOURCES MANUFACTURING PROGRAM The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) provides a sales and use tax exclusion for advanced manufacturers and manufacturers of alternative sources and advanced transportation products. An approved application by the CAEATFA is required before a business is able to make tax-exempt purchases on clean-tech manufacturing equipment, components or systems. CAEATFA FULL SALES & TAX EXCLUSION The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) provides a full-sales and use tax exclusion (around 8-10% on average) for advanced manufacturers, recyclers, and manufacturers of alternative source and advanced transportation products, components, or systems. The benefit your organization receives is Full Sales & Use Tax Exclusions on eligible manufacturing equipment. The maximum award for individual projects are limited to $10 million of sales tax exclusion (STE) in a given calendar year. The process is a competitive application process with final determination by board approval. CDTFA PARTIAL SALES & USE TAX EXEMPTION The purpose of the Partial Sales and Use Tax Exemption is to incentivize manufacturing projects by exempting purchases made by qualified manufacturers, which include research and development activities. The exemption from the states portion of sales tax on

equipment is self-certified via the California Board of Equalization. Qualified activities are determined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. EMPLOYMENT TRAINING PANEL Funded through the Employment Training Panel (ETP) for manufacturers and distribution centers, the ETP pays 100% of customized training for eligible companies, determined by using the California Employment Account number. CALIFORNIA COMPETES TAX CREDIT The California Competes Tax Credit is an income tax credit available to businesses that want to locate in California or stay and grow in California and create quality, full-time jobs in California that might not otherwise be created by the business or any other business. CALIFORNIA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CREDIT The California Research Credit helps incentivize research and development activities in California by providing state income tax credit for research related to expenses, wages, supplies and contract research cost. There is 15% credit for in-house research expenses, and 24% credit for basic research payments outside of organizations. File for these credits with the Franchise Tax Board on corporate income tax return.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Discover more about these programs by scanning the QR code. You will be redirected to the Riverside Innovation’s mobile and easy to use website.

additional services you may need. SCE CHARGE READY PROGRAM

The Charge Ready Program assists business and property owners with deploying the infrastructure and equipment necessary to support electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at their business locations, public sector or multi-family buildings.

Business & Entrepreneurial Support

Numerous programs are available to support your growth including tax incentives, start-up assistance, and experts dedicated to aspiring entrepreneurs.

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING (SBDC)

Riverside County has several small business development centers that offer no cost, business consulting, training and other resources in a variety of areas like start up assistance, debt and equity funding, attracting and retaining customers, product commercialization and more to aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners. Consultants are current and former small business owners, ready to assist you with even your most complex business needs. COACHELLA VALLEY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER The Coachella Valley SBDC assists aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners from the community of Cabazon east to the City of Blythe in Riverside County. Our local team of staff and business consultants represent a variety of backgrounds and industry expertise. Aside from our core services, our team possesses additional expertise in: restaurant,

retail and franchise operations, manufacturing, interior design, merchandising, performance improvement, human resources and more. CALIFORNIA MADE PROGRAM CA Made is California’s labeling program for manufactured goods. The program is designed to encourage consumer product awareness and promote the purchase of products manufactured in California.

OFFICE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE

The Small Business unit serves as the primary advocate and resource provider for California’s small business community. The unit has four focus areas: advocacy, information gathering and dissemination, agency coordination, and business assistance. This work includes engaging with policy makers and stakeholders, providing educational services on issues directly affecting small businesses, working

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in collaboration with state agencies and departments, and assisting businesses directly with questions about available resources. GET DIGITAL CA! An e-commerce initiative to promote accelerators and intensive trainings to build the skills necessary to compete in an on-line marketplace. SOURCE DIVERSE SOURCE LOCAL A public-private collaboration to strengthen inclusive procurement programs and build a resilient California- based supply chain. NEW EMPLOYMENT CREDIT The purpose of the new employment credit is to hire a targeted population, groups that are from economically distressed areas with income earning opportunities between 150% to 350% of minimum wage. This is beneficial to employers because a tax credit is allowed for these new employees with certain criteria. The State will grant corporate income tax credit for employers with net increases in employment that hire qualified employees within qualified areas. FOREIGN TRADE ZONES Riverside County offers a customs port of entry in Palm Springs as well as convenient access to customs facilities in the greater Los

Angeles area. Businesses that import, export, and manufacture goods and services can realize significant financial and logistical benefits through the Foreign Trade Zone Program (FTZ). Riverside County Office of Economic Development offers companies that import raw materials, components, or finished goods, a free cost-benefit analysis to determine how substantial the savings can be for the company to join an FTZ. HUB ZONES The Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB Zones) encourage economic development through the establishment of preferences. There are 44 HUB Zones in Riverside County that spans over the counties 7300 square miles in both small and large cities. OPPORTUNITY ZONES There are 49 Opportunity Zones in Riverside County. Opportunity Zones are a new tool for community development. Established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones provide tax incentives for investment in designated census tracts. California Opportunity Zones will support new investments in environmental justice, sustainability, climate change, and affordable housing. Investments in

Opportunity Zones are made through Qualified Opportunity Funds. THE WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a Federal income tax credit provided to private-sector businesses for hiring individuals from nine target groups who have consistently faced barriers to employment. NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM (NMTC) New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC) provides a federal income tax credit for qualified equity investments in designated Community Development Entities (CDEs), e.g., community development financial institutions, such as banks, credit unions and venture funds. Substantially all the qualified equity investment must in turn be used to provide investments in low-income, under-served communities.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Discover more about these programs by scanning the QR code. You will be redirected to the Riverside Innovation’s mobile and easy to use website.

Access to Capital Venture Capital Funds and Traditional Banks are not the only capital resources available to begin your entrepreneurial journey.

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Capital Assistance & Entrepreneur Programs Š Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Eagle Makerspace Š Murrieta Genomics Incubator/Murrieta Innovation Center

Š Palm Springs Innovation Hub (IHUB) Š Innovation Lab (City of Riverside) Š TVE2 (Temecula Valley Entrepreneurs Exchange) Š Inland Empire Tech Bridge Š Epic INNOVAR Entrepreneurial Education (UCR) Š UCR Epic SBIR/STTR Resource Center Š Epic Blackstone Launchpad Š UC Riverside The Creat’r Lab Makerspace Š UCR Highlander Venture Fund

Š UCR Technical Assistance Program for COVID affected Small Businesses Š Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) powered by UCR EPIC Š Riverside Angel Summit powered by UCR EPIC Š ExCITE Riverside Accelerator & Incubator powered by UCR EPIC Š UC Riverside Life Science Incubator Š Tech Coast Angels (TCA)

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Discover more about these programs by scanning the QR code. You will be redirected to the Riverside Innovation’s mobile and easy to use website.

Innovative Organizations

Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering

S MART R IVERSIDE !"#$%&'"&()*+,'$-.,*+&/,($0$.1*2(3*!3-/2)4$(

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Riverside County is ushering in a new generation of innovative companies by building talent pools of intellect, creativity, and engineering expertise.

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the primary state agency responsible for actions to protect public health from the harmful effects of air pollution. From guiding the activities of 35 local air pollution control districts, to leading our states efforts to address global climate change, CARB has pioneered many of the approaches now used worldwide to address air quality problems. CARB recently opened the doors of its relocated Southern California headquarters bringing together the latest in modern green architecture under one solar-powered roof. The structure is a 20-year effort to replace an aging facility and an opportunity to design a building that represents what the government agency sees for the future. A decision to build the CARB facility in Riverside is based on the advantages of being next to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) campus and anchoring the city’s Innovation District. CARB chose Riverside in March 2016 after deciding the land owned by the University of California on Iowa Avenue would provide the best opportunity for growth in the coming decades. UCR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY (CE-CERT) The Bourns College of Engineering, Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CE-CERT)’s mission is to be a recognized leader in environmental education, a collaborator with industry and government

to improve the technical basis for regulations and policy, a creative source of new technology, and a contributor to a better understanding of the environment. Established in 1992 and now operating as the largest research center at the University of California at Riverside, CE-CERT brings together multiple disciplines throughout campus to address society’s most pressing environmental challenges in air quality, climate change, energy, and transportation. CE-CERT’s activities encompass all three aspects of the University of California’s overarching mission: research, education, and public service. SMARTRIVERSIDE SmartRiverside is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2006 that is working to close the digital divide in Riverside. The city of Riverside formed non-profit SmartRiverside in 2005 to provide high technology public use solutions for the community. In 2006, SmartRiverside awarded a competitive bid to AT&T to build out a city-wide WiFi network for both public and private use. The project included provisions for a free public use broadband infrastructure that would help the community bridge the digital divide. SmartRiverside also aims to introduce students to the possibilities and careers computer programming presents through its Code to Careers program. Code to Careers’ goal is to create and conduct a computer coding training curriculum for youth. SmartRiverside is working with partner organizations also interested in

helping youth learn computer programming to create a working team. School Districts and Community Centers offer introductory classes using Google’s CS First program. SmartRiverside provides a robotics class using the Raspberry Pi device. Local universities provide student volunteers to assist with instruction. Many of these classes target youth from low-income families who are in after-school and summer camp programs. Code to Careers aims to provide them with coding skills that will allow them to expand their pursuit of a computer programming and understand the opportunities available in that field. UC RIVERSIDE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION OASIS OVERVIEW The Opportunity to Advance Sustainability Innovation and Social Inclusion (OASIS) is a public-private partnership led by the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to drive regional economic development through solutions-driven applied research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development around sustainability, clean technology, and social inclusion. As the home of more than 20 multidisciplinary research centers, UCR faculty and research staff have developed a deep understanding of how sustainability-oriented solutions can help address regional challenges.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Discover more about these programs by scanning the QR code. You will be redirected to the Riverside Innovation’s mobile and easy to use website.

Success Stories As Riverside County grows, Innovation is at the forefront. Take a look at these Riverside County startups that are pushing Innovation throughout the County and advancing their respective industries.

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Clinical Command Center 3C . !"#$%! ™

Basilard BioTech

edge sound research.

Basilard BioTech Basilard Biotech is a Southern California based company poised to lead a revolution in the engineering of cell based therapies in Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT). In 2019, the company launched a disruptive gene delivery technology platform called Celletto™. This novel approach to nanomechanical gene delivery has the potential to disrupt the current limitations of current viral and non viral gene delivery — a breakthrough that could facilitate better scalability and more

cost-effective production of cell and gene therapies. Cell and gene therapies have immense potential to address unmet clinical needs by leveraging the power and diversity of cell functions. They offer the best hope for finding solutions to prevailing diseases that affect and kill millions of people. The main challenges now are improving upon the limitations of biological and ex-vivo gene

delivery and scaling manufacturing (cost effectively) to meet the needs of current/ future cell therapies.

For more information visit: basilardbiotech.com

Basilard BioTech’s technology enables the achievement of both high cellular viability and deliverability efficiency resulting in transfection performance that exceeds the current leading solution by 400%.

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