Contrary to the popular narrative that manufacturing no longer occurs in California, manufacturing is thriving and growing in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially in the East Bay. Recent research shows that over 1,000 East Bay companies are making products in industries such as biomedical, food and beverage, electronics, and climate technology, as well as companies that are contract manufacturers and machine shops.
This post is the first of a series that will illuminate the geography of manufacturing in the East Bay. This series will focus on key industries in the East Bay, focusing on the number of companies, the people employed, where they are located, and why they are spatially clustered the way they are. In the process, the dynamics of industrial organization and geography will be explained to show the effects manufacturing has on East Bay communities, including the people, government, and related and supporting industries.
Manufacturing activities are not evenly spread across a country or region. The geography of manufacturing is the study of the spatial distribution of manufacturing activities, including where factories are located, how they are connected, and the factors influencing their location. It explores the movement of manufacturing jobs and industries over time, and how geographic patterns influence economic development and growth. Manufacturing is an essential activity and a bridge for connecting research and innovation to commercial products. Some areas are more heavily industrialized than others, and specific industries may cluster in certain locations. A quick look at the Resilient East Bay interactive industry map shows the spatial distribution of industries with manufacturing across the East Bay.
In future posts, prominent industries and their industrial geography will be shown and explained. This will include how the geography of manufacturing for key industries has changed over time due to factors like technological advancements, changes in transportation, and globalization It will explain how various factors influence where companies choose to locate their facilities, including access to raw materials, labor costs, transportation infrastructure, and government policies. These posts will also reveal how clustering of related industries in specific locations can lead to knowledge spillovers, shared infrastructure, and access to specialized labor pools, driving innovation and efficiency, as well as reduced costs and increased efficiency, leading to economic growth and competitiveness.
Figure 1 – East Bay Geography of Manufacturing