Biotech in SSF
BIOTECH IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
South San Francisco is the birthplace of biotechnology, dating back to the founding of Genentech in 1976. Today, South San Francisco is home to one of the largest biotech clusters in the world. Over 250 biotech companies and 12 million square feet of biotech space form the anchor of South San Francisco’s economy. We have the nation’s premier life sciences workforce drawing from nearby universities, including the University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Even more exciting is the 3.5 million square feet of biotech space that is currently under construction.
South San Francisco anticipated—and planned for—the rapid growth in the biotech cluster. We invested over $300 million toward street improvements, water quality and sewer delivery upgrades. We work closely with universities and our community college to sustain our talented workforce.
Construction continued through—and after—2020. Between 2019 and 2035, the City of South San Francisco anticipates that square footage dedicated to the life science industry in South San Francisco will double.
OUR LOCATION IS EVERYTHING
The City of South San Francisco is convenient. South San Francisco is less than 10 minutes from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), 15 miles from the center of the City of San Francisco, and a half an hour from Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Quality of life in South San Francisco is high. Beaches in Pacifica and Ocean Beach are a short drive away. Daytrips to the world class skiing and hiking of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range are possible. The nearby City of San Francisco provides opportunities to attend world-class concerts and major league sporting events, just 7 miles away.
The South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) is a nationally recognized leader in the Green Schools Movement. SSFUSD is home to four California Distinguished Schools and two California Gold Ribbon Schools.
The City of South San Francisco is home to many modern amenities. A State-of-the-Art Library, Parks and Recreation building opened in 2023. Turf sports fields were installed at Orange Park in 2023. And a new aquatic center is under construction at Orange Park with a scheduled to opening in 2025.
South San Francisco offers its citizens a city in which to live comfortably in fine residential areas; a place of recreation in parks, swimming pools and marinas; and a place to work in more than 2,800 firms and businesses, including over 250 biotech companies, such as Genentech, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas and Verily.
For a list of biotechnology companies in South San Francisco--see the attached PDF (last updated April 2024).(PDF, 132KB)
This brochure(PDF, 11MB) provides an overview of the biotech cluster as of the Spring of 2024.
WHY ARE WE GROWING?
Beyond our location advantages, the City of South San Francisco and our four Real Estate Investment Trust Companies have invested millions to create the climate for growth. Today, South San Francisco’s construction projects are changing the shape of biotech industry in the San Francisco Bay Area and California. Phase 1 of the 3 million square foot Southline campus is complete. South City Ventures 213,000 square foot building and Healthpeak’s 130,000 square foot building have anticipated completion dates in 2024.
A majority of South San Francisco biotechnology companies belong to the medical sector, which involves researching and developing applications for drugs and therapies, as well as the manufacturing of medical devices and other research consumables. Sixty-one percent of the City’s biotech companies specialize in biopharmaceutical research and development (R&D) (e.g. vaccines, allergenic products, gene therapies, etc.). This reflects the high demand for R&D in the biopharma sector.
South San Francisco can link you with companies in the ecosystem undertaking:
- Next Generation Sequencing
- Translational Medicine
- Digital Health
- Neurology and Aging
- Data Analysis
- Blending of High-Tech and Biotech research
- And a thriving biopharma sector in the broader Bay Area.
South San Francisco is part of the broader Bay Area region. This graphic from Biocom California shows the tremendous economic impact of the life science industry on the Bay Area.
