International Economic Connections

As the premier global center for technology and service innovation and a major center of higher education, the Bay Area powerfully shapes and is shaped by the global economy. The Institute continually investigates how the Bay Area serves as an important business and cultural hub by being globally connected through foreign direct investment, links to other technology regions, large numbers of foreign students at its universities, and a globally diverse population. The level of connection between the Bay Area and China is unique in its depth and breadth, and China’s technological capacity in the coming years will profoundly impact not only competition and market opportunities in China, but global competition as well. The Bay Area’s Economic ties to Europe date back to California’s Gold Rush, and Europe continues to be an essential partner in shaping the region’s economic future. Cross investment with Europe is larger than with any other global region.

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Insights

Reading the Trump Playbook: The Global Economy Waits

November 11, 2024 The Trump presidency will reshape the United States relationship with the rest of the world. Changes from the current administration will be abrupt, with a long list of campaign promises revolving around …

Insights

Global production continues to shift: India, Mexico and Southeast Asia benefit

August 5, 2024 The worldwide shift of production is fully underway as companies with global operations diversify their sourcing and work to manage risk. A trend for several years, this has become a flow. A …

Report

Growth and Transformation: Economic Ties Between the San Francisco Bay Area and Ireland

As the Bay Area’s trade and investment with Europe grows, Ireland occupies a unique position as a platform and technology bridge between the US and Europe. It has successfully combined targeted economic strategies with talent and innovation, creating a highly competitive European base for Bay Area and other US companies. The Bay Area’s relationship with Ireland reflects a mutually beneficial economic alignment but also deep historical roots, with 2023 marking the 90th anniversary of Ireland’s diplomatic presence in San Francisco. Through its large Irish community, active engagement by the Irish Government, and strong economic and cultural linkages, the San Francisco Bay Area serves as a key connector between Ireland and the United States.
Insights

Technology, Investment, and Mexico’s New President

June 25, 2023 As Mexico’s strategic importance to the U.S. grows, its newly elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has an opportunity to deepen the economic relationship and with-it prosperity in both countries. In this article in …

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Bay Area Council Conversations

This conversation took place at a December 2023 symposium jointly sponsored by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the Stanford Center for China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI) and the Shenzhen-based China Development Institute (CDI) on where, despite the obstacles, opportunities can still be found to build business and economic ties between the U.S. and China.
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Bay Area Council Conversations

This conversation summarizes one of fourteen forums organized by the Bay Area Council during APEC (November 13-17, 2023). Designed to introduce global partners to the startup and innovation environment in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley Bay Area, it brought together leaders from venture capital, venture finance, accelerators and universities for a discussion of Silicon Valley’s origins and of key trends shaping its present and future.
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Luxembourg

Luxembourg’s position as a business-friendly European economy suggests a range of opportunities for investment and other partnerships with Bay Area and other U.S. companies.
Insights

The U.S. and India take the next step: Unpacking U.S.-India technology cooperation and Modi summit

September 6, 2023 June’s meeting between U.S. President Biden and India’s Prime Minister Modi advanced the U.S.-India connection to a new level. While the relationship falls short of an actual alliance and India and the …

Insights

Viewpoint: Why the U.S. and Europe Need to Work Together on Technology

August 1, 2023 Europe and the United States are allies, collaborators — and competitors. Today, it is increasingly important that Europe and the United States look beyond competition to align their policies and capabilities around …

Insights

How Connected Are the Bay Area and India?

June 23, 2023 India’s economic ties to the San Francisco/Silicon Bay Area are continuing to grow, led by the dramatic acceleration of India’s digital economy, the maturing and growth of its startup environment and the …

Report

The EU – US Tech Relationship In a Changing Global Economic Order

The war in Ukraine and multidimensional challenges from China have brought to the fore the need for the transatlantic partners to increase their collaboration and coordination as a way to reestablish geopolitical equilibrium and address the challenges posed by autocratic techno-nationalism.
Insights

Viewpoint: China’s Troubles Present a Moment for North America

April 18, 2023 U.S.-China tensions, supply chain vulnerabilities, reshoring, and other trends present a window of opportunity for North America. In this article in the SF Business Times, Sean Randolph, Senior Director of the Institute, …

Report

Seismic Shift

Synergies between the Bay Area and India’s robust innovation ecosystem suggest a wide range of opportunities for collaboration. Key thematic areas include defense, critical and emerging technologies (enabled by iCET), standards, state-level collaboration on climate and energy, cross-national support for startups, AI and digital development, skilled immigration, trade, and supply chain integration.
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China, Technology, and the New U.S. Industrial Policy

The outcome of the just-concluded Party Congress offers little reassurance that the Chinese and American economies won’t continue to diverge, and a continuing deterioration is the coming years is likely unless a new floor can be put under the relationship. The meeting of President Biden with China’s President Xi Jinping in Bali in November may have accomplished that, though careful management by both sides will be needed. Either way, the Bay Area’s economy will remain closely entwined with China’s even if the scope of that engagement continues to narrow
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Assessing Jordan’s Potential as a Middle East Business and ICT Base

A small economy by regional and global standards, Jordan benefits from several advantages as a business and ICT platform: a stable political environment, close ties with the United States, a highly educated workforce with a substantial pool of experienced engineers, government policies that prioritize education, active support for women in the workplace, and an entrepreneurial culture that generates a disproportionately large number of regional technology startups.
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Innovation Platform

From this high-level review, it appears that despite some attrition in corporate innovation offices the global innovation presence remains strong.
Tel Aviv Skyline
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Silicon Valley to Silicon Wadi

Unique economic ties link the Bay Area and California with Israel. This report discusses the roots of Israel’s innovation economy, California’s economic footprint in Israel, Israel’s economic presence in California, key technologies where that activity is focused, and possibilities for the future.
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Bay to Bay

The term “Greater Bay Area” is derived from the experience of the San Francisco Bay Area, a multijurisdictional region that is the world’s leading platform for technology and innovation; following that model, China’s Greater Bay Area plan also seeks to make the Southern China region surrounding the Pearl River Delta a global innovation hub.
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Southern Connection

As the Bay Area’s role as a global technology and innovation center has grown, the scope of its relationship with Mexico has expanded to include technology R&D and an active connection through startups. This presents opportunities to expand the relationship.
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The Bay Area-Silicon Valley and Australia

Given current geopolitical challenges around the world, the Indo-Pacific region will continue to grow in importance for the United States, and so, too, will its relationship with Australia. This report assesses Australia’s economic ties to the Bay Area and outlines areas where capabilities, resources, and close alignment will offer stronger opportunities for business and other collaboration in the future.
Insights

China Oversteps

August 26, 2020 China’s recent actions are fueling the fire for a further divide with the United States. With China’s leadership overstepping, other countries have taken notice and are beginning to push back .  This …

Report

Silicon Valley Bridges to Japan

This analysis builds on discussions at a February 20, 2020 conference at Stanford University, “Japan and the Bay Area: Developing Entrepreneurial Business Partnerships in the New Japan,” organized by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Stanford’s US-Asia Technology Management Center.
Insights

A Joint Declaration on the Importance of Collaboration, Open Trade, and Innovation in Tackling COVID-19

The Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance (GTIPA), a body of leading trade, economic and innovation think tanks around the world that work together to support growth through innovation and open market policies issued a …

Report

Singapore and the Bay Area

Singapore is ranked by the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Competitiveness Report as the world’s most competitive economy. For decades it has served as an Asia-Pacific headquarters for US and other multinationals, a role that is expanding with its growing focus on innovation and with strong economic growth in neighboring Southeast Asia. The dynamism of Southeast Asia’s other leading economies—Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam—parallels Singapore’s, with accelerating digitalization, expanding internet economies, nascent startup ecosystems, successful unicorns, and growing venture investment. Including Singapore, the region offers a distinct and growing market and platform for doing business in Asia. This report assesses Singapore’s economic strategies, its environment for innovation, the Bay Area’s footprint in Singapore, Singapore’s footprint in the Bay Area, economic trends in Southeast Asia, and the trade and investment opportunities these developments represent.
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Japan in the Bay Area

The opportunities that Japan presents for the Bay Area are unique. While Japan continues to face challenges, the wealth and scale of its economy, its advanced research and technological capacity, and its proven capacity to innovate point to strong potential for alignment. Japan is also emerging as a laboratory for how to technologically address the challenges of an aging society and a shrinking workforce. This report examines the key points of alignment between the economies of the Bay Area and Japan and the scope for potential cooperation.
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Reconsidering US-China Economic Relations

The current complex of issues in US-China economic relations falls into three major categories: trade, investment, and student and scientific exchanges. This brief analyzes each from the standpoint of current laws and policies, their impacts, and their possible resolution.
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The Bay Area-Silicon Valley and India

India and the United States are poised at the threshold of a closer, more productive relationship than at any point in the recent past. India's economy has advanced and is now the world's sixth largest. New areas of partnership between India and the US—and particularly India and the Bay Area-Silicon Valley— are emerging as India's economy is rapidly digitizing. The Bay Area is a major economic partner for India, and opportunities are growing.
Insights

SF Chronicle Open Forum: U.S.-China trade standoff risks resulting in a costly new normal

Sean Randolph, Senior Director of The Bay Area Council Economic Institute, recently published an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle outlining how the U.S.-China trade standoff has reached its current point, why a resolution has …

Report

Hemispheric Partners

This report provides a snapshot of the Canadian economy and outlines the broad alignment of shared interests and values between Canada and the US, California, and the Bay Area.
Insights

The consequences of ‘America First’ — a poorer, less secure U.S.

Sean Randolph, Senior Director of The Bay Area Council Economic Institute, recently published an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle outlining the dangers America will face moving forward if it continues to alienate its global …

Report

Chinese Innovation

This report was developed to shed light on a topic that will increasingly impact the US and world economies in the years to come: Is China innovative? Many continue to believe that China is adept at copying foreign technologies, but is not yet a technology and innovation leader. We found that this is an outdated perspective and that the course taken by China’s technological capacity in the coming years will profoundly impact not only competition and market opportunities in China, but global competition as well.
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Nordic Dreams

This report discusses the entrepreneurial landscape of the five Nordic countries, and how and why the Nordic region has become a significant technology and innovation partner for the Bay Area and a leader in the two-way innovation process.
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Innovation Bridge

Europe is a major economic presence in the Bay Area, through trade, investment, and people. More than any other area of the world, it enjoys strong ties to the region through technology and innovation, and in particular through startups. This report documents the startup bridge that connects the two regions.
Report

The Real Impact of Trade Agreements

Recent political debate and the anxiety it has fueled have created an unfortunate—and inaccurate—impression that trade agreements are destroying manufacturing and killing US jobs. A look at the facts reveals a more complex story and points to a different conclusion.
Insights

How will ‘Brexit’ Impact the Bay Area?

Institute Senior Director Sean Randolph offers initial analysis of the historic vote in Britain to exit the European Union and its impact on the Bay Area economically. The full implications of Britain’s decision to leave …

Insights

Can Europe innovate a way out of its “Lost Decade”?

Long before the words “Grexit” or “Brexit” entered the popular lexicon, the economic news out of Europe was difficult. Since the 2008–9 recession, Eurozone countries have been treading water, bobbing up and down in the …

Insights

Don’t neglect Bay Area’s European ties in pursuit of Asian trade pact

Much of the news in international trade lately has been about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade negotiation of the United States with 28 Asian countries. Less attention has been given to the Trans-Atlantic …

Project

Innovation Drivers

Trade, Investment and Invention

Economic Ties between Japan and the San Francisco Bay Area date back 150 years, to when the first diplomatic mission from Japan to the United States arrived in San Francisco. Since then, both Japan and the Bay Area have developed into two of the world’s leading technology hubs. This briefing paper continues the Economic Institute’s series of reports on the region’s business and economic links with major global partners.

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Trade in the Bay Area

Made for Trade

The revenues of Bay Area companies increasingly come from global markets, and the Bay Area economy is intricately linked with global trade and financial flows. The Bay Area is on the cutting edge of technology, innovation and finance, handling $25 billion in exports in 2013. As technology continues to increase as a percentage of global trade, the Bay Area is well positioned to export to expanding future and emerging markets, especially in Asia. A report commissioned by HSBC in 2014 looks at international trade activity in the Bay Area, with a particular focus on technology, China, and the internationalization of China’s currency.

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Europe and the Bay Area

The innovation economies of Europe and the Bay Area are becoming increasingly integrated and spurring new business growth in both regions of the world.
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Ties That Bind

In this 2014 revised edition of its study on The San Francisco Bay Area's Economic Links to Greater China, the Economic Institute once again highlights the key market dynamics, deals, forms and innovators that form the close and lasting economic bond between the Bay Area and China.
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