The San Antonio area is moving ahead with plans to build on the area's R&D strengths by luring biotech and pharmaceutical companies to the region, particularly to former military facilities, such as the Kelly and Brooks Air Force Bases.

In April 2004, Earth Tech opened its Brooks City- Base global center of excellence for radiological services in San Antonio in what was the former Air Force Base Exchange (BX). Earth Tech is a global consulting, engineering and construction firm and a major partner in the U.S. Air Force's worldwide effort to ensure the health and safety of its personnel.

   Brooks City- Base is a unique partnership between the City of San Antonio and the U.S. Air Force that lets the Air Force continue R&D work it is conducting at the base while giving the Brooks Development Authority (BDA) the task of redeveloping the 1,300- acre (121- hectare) complex into a world- class technology center for bioscience, academic, environmental and technical research. In March, BDA hired Don Jakeway, former head of the Michigan Economic Development Authority and the Ohio Department of Development, as CEO.
   Jakeway has about 400 acres (162 hectares) of the site's 1,300 acres (121 hectares) to work with until the Air Force operations are relocated elsewhere. But companies are coming, and the Air Force's work in such areas as combat- injury treatment research is a welcome asset. In mid- 2005, DFB Pharmaceuticals broke ground on a $24- million R&D, warehouse and production facility for its DPT Laboratories unit. The decision kept more than 130 biotech jobs in San Antonio and made possible a potential expansion to up to 175 people. And two of this year's TETF grant recipients are San Antonio enterprises.
   The area is rife with scientists involved in R&D at private companies, with the Air Force and at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
   "We have a beautiful mix of private- sector technology opportunity, the education- based R&D and then what's here right now, which is the catalyst through the Air Force with their research, much of which is biomedical research," says Jakeway. "It's been a great asset for us, and even if those base uses leave, a lot of the scientists will want to link up with private- sector people doing biomedical research. The old game of commercialization of technology is alive and well right here, and we are going to take advantage of that. That's what the military has wanted us to do – find private- sector opportunities to commercialize this research. That's our strength."