ADVANCED MANUFACTURING:
Made in Fremont, CA
Fremont is the leading city in California for manufacturing and has played an integral role in reshoring critical industries and supply chains back to the United States.
The City boasts nearly 45,000 manufacturing jobs, with one in three Fremont jobs in the sector. Given that Fremont is home to North America’s most productive autoplant and nearly all of its 900 manufacturers are engaged in technology, Fremont claims the title of the national epicenter for advanced manufacturing.
Reimagining Modern Manufacturing
But what exactly does this type of manufacturing look like? Spoiler alert: it’s not the black-and-white photo that you likely saw in an elementary school textbook, showcasing a human assembly line aided by basic machinery.
It’s innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and so much more. Our broad range of manufacturing companies is proof of the kinds of cutting-edge technology being produced by advanced manufacturing operations.
Our cleantech companies are powering the nation’s transition to more sustainable operations — think reducing carbon emissions, producing renewable energy, and building resilient cities. Among our flagship companies are Bloom Energy, manufacturer of hydrogen fuel servers with operations spanning over 325,000 square feet in Fremont, and Enovix, developer of ultra-high performance batteries.
Meanwhile, our life sciences cluster is changing the world by creating innovative solutions to prevent brain aneurysms, screen for cancer risk, and create low-cost drug alternatives, with innovations from groundbreaking companies like Boehringer Ingelheim and Thermo Fisher Scientific, among others.
And we didn’t get our nickname of “The Hardware Side of The Bay” for nothing. Our emerging tech and electronics sectors power advancements in smart manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Automotive manufacturer Tesla, electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid, semiconductor equipment manufacturer Lam Research, and one of the world’s largest hard drive manufacturers Seagate are just a few of our landmark residents in these fields.
Bringing Manufacturing Home to Fremont
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “But wait. Why is Fremont home to all these advanced manufacturers?”
Two reasons.
The first is legacy. Fremont has long been an industrial and manufacturing powerhouse.
General Motors opened Fremont Assembly — what is now the Tesla factory — in 1961. In 1984, Apple commissioned the first Macintosh computer manufacturing facility in Fremont, designed by Steve Jobs himself.
Over the years, Fremont’s workforce developed technical expertise in areas like semiconductors and automation, which in turn spurred new industries that replaced those moving offshore or being phased out. While the face of Fremont industry has changed much over the decades, our industrial legacy continues to this day.
The second reason is that the City is committed to supporting its advanced manufacturing sector.
We have protected our industrial lands from other potentially conflicting land uses, while expanding our stock of contemporary manufacturing space. Our supportive City policies as well as Fremont’s unique location deliver the following benefits:
- Accessibility to educated and tech-savvy workers drawing from a deep pool of Bay Area universities, several regional community colleges (including Ohlone College, which offers specialized advanced manufacturing courses, and technical schools)
- Over 50 million square feet of flex industrial and R&D space
- Proximity to key suppliers and customers in Silicon Valley
- Availability of competitively priced, readily zoned facilities
- Easy access to two interstates, multiple rail transport lines, including BART, three airports, and the Port of Oakland
- A General Purpose Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), allowing our manufacturers to take advantage of duty deferral, duty exemption, duty reduction, and logistical efficiency, including weekly entry savings
We’re equipped with the right know-how to get you up and running, whether it’s analyzing your operation’s hazardous materials or expediting a permit for that new piece of equipment on your pilot line.
Check out the Fremont Toolbox for all the details.
Building Up Our Future Advanced Manufacturing Workforce
We take pride in developing the next generation of the advanced manufacturing workforce and have launched several City initiatives and programs designed to educate and excite future advanced manufacturers.
Every year, our City joins the nation in honoring the first Friday in October as National Manufacturing Day and extends the celebration for an entire week. Dubbed Fremont Manufacturing Week, we partner with local advanced manufacturers in life sciences, semiconductors, cleantech, and more, to offer in-person facility tours and activities for students to spark their interest in STEM careers.
We also partner with local advanced manufacturers to reskill workers to address the growing skill gap as well as create a more diverse and inclusive labor force with our Earn and Learn Fremont Manufacturing Workforce Program.
As a part of the program, participants attend advanced manufacturing courses at Ohlone College and receive hands-on, paid work experience at a local manufacturer. Upon graduating from the program, participants receive an industry-recognized certificate in advanced manufacturing technologies and are ready to join the advanced manufacturing workforce at the sponsor advanced manufacturer or another manufacturer in our ecosystem.
Ohlone College also has additional offerings for those interested in jumpstarting a career in manufacturing and engineering. Its Biotech Program offers students of all ages the opportunity to learn hands-on skills and protocols used at local life sciences companies. Its Smart Manufacturing Technology (SMTech) Program provides entry-level manufacturing technicians with the necessary skills for advanced manufacturing in the 21st Century from learning about Internet of Things (IoT) to Industry 4.0 standards.
But if that’s not enough to convince you, investment deals are happening all the time, demonstrating faith in Fremont’s advanced manufacturing industry.
All of this to say, if you’re wondering what the future of advanced manufacturing will look like, you might want to keep your eyes fixed on Fremont.
