San Diego Study Trip: Site Visits to Major Innovation Hubs Confirmed

Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego

San Diego, home to one of the world's most vibrant innovation ecosystems, is the destination of the next GFCC Study Trip. On July 22–23, global leaders from Japan, Romania, Hungary, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States, representing government, academia, and the private sector, will gather in the city to explore the drivers, strategic frameworks, and innovation toolkits powering the region's ecosystem.

Hosted by GFCC member the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), the two-day event, part of Leadership in Place-making Innovation initiative, will provide an in-depth look at the critical decisions, partnerships, and initiatives that have shaped the region's trajectory, while examining how these lessons can inform innovation ecosystem development worldwide. Participants will also explore the role of research in driving entrepreneurship and commercialization, as well as UC San Diego's anchor role in advancing regional economic transformation.

The program features a mix of presentations, fireside chats, and moderated discussions. One of the highlights will be a fireside chat with UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla, exploring the personal and professional inflection points that have shaped his career as an innovation leader. The conversation will examine what drew him from the industrial heartland of Pittsburgh to the innovation shores of San Diego and how he helped redefine the university's role as a global economic engine. Chancellor Khosla will share his perspective on what it takes to build a world-class innovation ecosystem in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

The Study Trip will also include site visits to the Qualcomm Institute, a global leader in wireless communications, semiconductors, and emerging technologies, and to the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States. This exclusive opportunity will provide participants with direct access to two world-renowned centers of scientific discovery and innovation.

On July 21, 2026, the day preceding the GFCC Study Trip, the U.S. Council on Competitiveness will host the San Diego edition of its Competitiveness Conversations Across America: Building the Next Economy's Strategic Innovation Stack — Compute, AI, Energy, Bio, Autonomy, and Security*. The event will also be hosted by UC San Diego, and all GFCC members are warmly invited to attend.

Learn more about the upcoming San Diego Study Trip here.