Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Regional Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Valley Thrive pitches commercialization thesis and grants to grow AgTech, bioeconomy and advanced manufacturing
Summary
North Valley Thrive executives told the state board their region can turn invention into production — highlighting clusters in biocircular economy, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, and citing recent regional grants including roughly $9 million in regional funds for Beam and an $1.8 million catalyst grant to support an innovation campus in Modesto.
Eric Serrato, executive director involved with North Valley Thrive, told the California Workforce Development Board that the Northern and Central San Joaquin region aims to be a national center for taking invention to commercialization.
"It is, something that we've developed that explains how we can be the number 1 place in the state in the nation that takes invention into commercialization," Serrato said, outlining three priority tranches: biocircular, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.
Speakers described recent targeted investments. Thomas Pogue and other presenters said the intermediary Beam received about $9,000,000 in regional implementation funds plus a $1,800,000 catalyst grant to develop an innovation campus in Modesto focused on the bio‑circular economy. Presenters also described a roughly $9,200,000 collaborative investment between Merced College and UC Merced to support startup formation and tech transfer in the region.
Why it matters: Presenters argued the region’s combination of available land, rail and port infrastructure, university research and concentrated ag and food processing supply chains is an asset for industrial scale‑up and higher‑quality job creation. Board members asked about leveraging community colleges for crediting and apprenticeship alignment; presenters noted partnerships with the K‑16 collaborative and local colleges to accelerate credit and co‑enrollment strategies.
Board reaction and next steps: Members praised the regional collaboration and suggested further outreach to venture capital and GoBiz to attract international and private investment. Staff noted the board may be asked to consider funding mechanisms and technical assistance to scale such regional commercialization efforts.
Presenters also flagged workforce experiments underway, including a small cohort pilot that frontloads $7,100 per youth to test whether direct support improves WIOA outcomes and a practitioner training program funded by James Irvine Foundation to build capacity among grassroots organizations.
