San Diego is gaining recognition in the tech world as an industry leader and an innovation magnet. From people to places to businesses, there a number of factors that have helped to boost the city’s growing reputation. Here are a few of the major reasons:

Tech Leaders

If you attended the 2017 Top Tech Exec Awards, you know that San Diego is home to some pretty incredible tech leaders. This impressive group of information technology innovators bolster the business, academic, governmental, and non-profit communities within our city. The Top Tech Exec Awards celebrate the unsung heroes of information technology, as these brilliant leaders and their teams serve as the behind-the-scenes forces that keep companies functioning and businesses accelerating on a daily basis.

Innovative Spaces

Developers and planners are busy at work, reshaping San Diego into a more hip neighborhood for techies and designers. Live-work areas like Makers Quarter, and I.D.E.A. District are transforming the city and attracting entrepreneurs, millennials, and the innovation economy.

Another big trend attracting tech companies and startups is co-working and shared office space. Downtown Works and WeWork  are just two examples of innovative new office setups that foster more collaborative, open environments.

More Tech Jobs

It’s no secret that tech jobs in San Diego are on the rise. Forbes (forbes.com) ranked it on their list of Cities Creating the Most Tech Jobs in 2016 and many tech companies have recently made the move from places like Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

One startup CEO, Business Apps founder Andrew Gazzkecki said in a recent article, “San Diego offers a new and growing technology scene where entrepreneurship can blossom. Startups like Bizness Apps, who are ahead of the curve, can gain ground more easily and become an influencer, not just a follower. This makes for an exciting, thriving environment on an upward trend rather than a plateau.”

Startup-Centric Events

San Diego Startup Week, coming up this month during the week of June 19, is a week long non-profit event that celebrates startups, entrepreneurs and tech companies in San Diego. This is just one example of an event focused on growing the startup community. Other events, meetups and networking opportunities abound, hosted by groups like Startup SD, startup incubator Evonexus and San Diego Venture Group.