INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Advancing Innovation
MBEP is building the Central Coast’s reputation as a hub for high-growth industries—Advanced Air Mobility, AgTech, BlueTech, and MedTech—anchored by advanced manufacturing that drives faster commercialization, stronger supply chains, and higher-value jobs. MBEP aligns capital, talent, and infrastructure to accelerate scalable growth and global competitiveness.
Why It Matters
Technology industries have some of the highest multipliers in job creation and wage growth. Anchoring them here builds resilience, diversifies the economy, and increases our share of the innovation economy.
California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI)
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) on behalf of the Monterey Bay Tech Hub was awarded a grant to expand the Central Coast’s advanced air mobility (AAM) ecosystem, which will include uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and drones. This award, made through the state’s California Jobs First Regional Investment Initiative Implementation Phase Round One, will accelerate growth in one of the tri-county’s most dynamic and critical sectors: Space, Defense, and Satellites.
Monterey Bay
Tech Hub
The Monterey Bay region — spanning Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties — has emerged as one of the nation’s leading centers for advanced air mobility (AAM) and drone innovation. Home to pioneering companies in eVTOL, hydrogen-fueled aircraft, and drone technology, the region brings together industry leaders, higher education, defense installations, and agriculture to fuel economic growth and create jobs in one of California’s most promising sectors. MBEP co-founded the Monterey Bay Tech Hub with UC Santa Cruz and DART.
AgTech Innovation
The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is helping position the Central Coast as a statewide leader in agriculture technology (AgTech) innovation, education, and workforce development. Through its role as a regional convener and co-founder of Uplift Central Coast and Monterey Bay Tech Hub, MBEP has helped secure millions in state funding through the California Jobs First Initiative to advance emerging industries like robotics, AI, and drone technology.
As part of these efforts, MBEP is partnering with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to expand the Farm Robotics Challenge — a national competition that empowers students to solve real-world agricultural problems through automation and robotics. With new state funding, MBEP is coordinating the launch of the Farm Robotics Academy, which will introduce hands-on AgTech learning to high schools and middle schools across the region. Selected schools will receive $20,000 grants to develop robotics projects in partnership with local farms, inspiring the next generation of agricultural innovators.
In addition, MBEP helped secure funding for UC Santa Cruz’s Drones Uplifting California Communities (DUCC) initiative, a program that trains educators and students in drone operations for applications in precision agriculture, infrastructure, and clean-energy careers. Together, these projects will help build a pipeline of skilled workers prepared for the rapidly evolving, technology-driven future of agriculture — one that promises good-paying jobs, sustainable practices, and continued economic resilience for the Monterey Bay region.