COVER STORY This force is perhaps strongest in the fast-growing mobile health sector, where patients are proactively tracking their body’s metrics through health apps and accessing caregiver support from anywhere that has a wireless connection. Smartphones “are the most rapidly adopted technology in the history of man,” writes Eric Topol, M.D., director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego, in his newest book The Patient Will See You Now. “If we liken the new model to the business world, the patient becomes chief operating officer—a notable promotion from nobody to senior management,” Topol observes. Meanwhile, government healthcare reforms have shifted towards outcomes-based reimbursement models, demanding an additional level of reporting on the patient experience. “When you start thinking about healthcare in a consumer-centric way, terms like empathy, delight, convenience and affordability take on a greater significance,” says Nina Kjellson, general partner at venture capital firm Canaan Partners, which is active in Southern California healthcare IT. “Even life science companies need to be thinking about this because increasingly, innovative products will be judged not only on safety and efficacy but also on consumer engagement.”
“WHEN YOU START THINKING IN A CONSUMER-CENTRIC WAY, TERMS LIKE EMPATHY, DELIGHT, CONVENIENCE, AFFORDABILITY TAKE ON A GREATER SIGNIFIC ANCE.”
FOUR Sustainability By 2035, the world population will have grown to more than 8 billion and life expectancy will be even longer than it is today. More people will require our planet’s limited resources for a longer amount of time. More water, more energy, more food, more goods. Sustainability begins with an understanding that everything we need for our wellbeing depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. It’s the driving principle behind Southern California’s booming biorenewables sector, which features an array of companies focused on biofuels, specialty enzymes, renewable chemicals and algae research. “When you think about the challenges we currently face in the world, be it food production or our use of energy, sustainability is a topic that comes up again and again,” says Oliver Fetzer, CEO of San Diego-based Synthetic Genomics. Co-founded by J. Craig Venter, Synthetic Genomics is dedicated
to genomics-driven solutions to address such global challenges. Among its many projects is a research agreement with ExxonMobil to develop highly efficient algae strains that convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into biofuel. “The fact remains that we, as a planet, are burning more fossil fuels every year and emitting more carbon dioxide,” Fetzer says. “The link to global warming is no longer debatable.” Just as unmet medical needs drive biopharmaceutical innovation, global sustainability challenges will continue to create a thriving market for synthetic biology and biorenewables, Fetzer notes.
“THE LINK TO GLOBAL WARMING IS NO LONGER DEBATABLE.”
FIVE Generation Z Forbes calls them rebels with a cause. Entrepreneur says they’re realists with an entrepreneurial edge. But it’s all speculation at this point, as the youngest members of Generation Z are still in elementary school. One thing is certain: In 20 years, Generation Z will have made its presence known in Southern California life science. They will be the next crop of scientists, marketers, CEOs and venture capitalists. And the most successful companies will be doing all the right things to attract and retain the best of this new generation— rethinking company culture and providing an environment in which they’ll want to stay and prosper. Along with compensation and leadership opportunities, companies will need to create a physical space that speaks to new generations, notes Tracy Murphy, regional vice president of BioMed Realty Trust in San Diego. The workspace must evolve to meet a growing desire to blend hard work with inspiring diversion. “Access to restaurants and shopping in a more campuslike environment will become the standard design, rather than the innovative exception,” Murphy says. “Companies like Google have put a spotlight on the workspace and how it can be open and enjoyable, where employees can work and collaborate while also enjoying leisurely activities.” Adding to the sustainability trend, the new generation of life science leaders will seek out buildings with minimal carbon
“ACCESS TO RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING IN A MORE C AMPUSLIKE ENVIRONMENT WILL BECOME THE STANDARD DESIGN, RATHER THAN THE INNOVATIVE EXCEPTION.”
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