California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

NASA’s Ames Research Center is located on approximately 2,000 acres adjacent to
the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale in California’s Silicon Valley. It
conducts scientific research and research and development in the fields of
astrobiology; Earth and life sciences; artificial intelligence; information
technology; supercomputing; airspace systems; entry, descent, and landing systems;
and small satellites and related technologies.

Ames generated 5,300 jobs and $877 million in total annual economic activity in
the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in 2009, according to a new economic benefits
study.

The study also found that nationally, NASA Ames supports more than 8,400 jobs and
generates $1.3 billion in annual economic activity. The study also reported that
NASA Ames produced 5,900 jobs and contributed $932 million to California’s economy
in 2009.

Currently Ames is host to more than 70 on-site industry, university and non-profit
partners.  But Ames is transitioning to a research park that will ultimately
comprise 5.7 million square feet of new construction for research and development
offices, university classrooms and laboratories, rental housing, museums, and a
conference and education center. New construction is expected to total approximately
$2.8 billion, generating an average of 1,700 construction jobs annually over the
next 15 years in the Bay Area, 1,900 in California, and more than 2,800 nationally.

“With the unemployment rate in the Bay Area for construction workers at 30 per cent,
the development of the NASA Research Park may create thousands of jobs that will
help put people to work and stimulate the local economy. It is these types of projects
that create a triple bottom line: higher education, economic development and good
jobs,” said Neil Struthers, chief executive officer of the Santa Clara and San Benito
Building and Construction Trades Council.

Ames plays a critical role in supporting the nation’s drive to promoting future
economic growth. NASA Ames has forged numerous partnerships with private industry,
educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations that have contributed to
breakthroughs in climate change research, disaster response capacity, commercialization
of space, robotics, supercomputing, nanotechnology, small satellites, and green/clean
technology.

"NASA Ames fuels innovation through exploration that creates jobs and helps power
the Silicon Valley economy," said Silicon Valley Leadership Group Chief Executive
Officer Carl Guardino.

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.