Last week, your Chamber’s Cybersecurity Industry Council supported and joined city leaders on a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with company executives in the cybersecurity industry. The trip, led by the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF), was organized to build strong relationships with executive decision makers in cybersecurity operations that are located in the national capital region. Another goal of this trip was to raise national awareness of San Antonio’s robust security ecosystem and talent base.
San Antonio, home to the 24th and 25th Air Force, NSA-Texas and top-tier academic programs in cybersecurity, has emerged as the second largest cybersecurity industry ecosystem in the U.S. Just as the military and intelligence missions in our community have parent organizations in the D.C. area, many of the federal contractors that operate in San Antonio have senior executives based in that region of the country.
During the visit, leadership from the Chamber, SAEDF, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and Port San Antonio hosted an executive roundtable luncheon to hear from key cybersecurity executives on their industry, operations and outlook for San Antonio. The local team discussed emerging aspects of our ecosystem including talent development, infrastructure and the growing tech movement as some of the reasons why cybersecurity companies are considering San Antonio as a location for growth and expansion.
Additionally, the San Antonio team hosted an evening event where D.C.-area startups, CEOs and security professionals networked with local industry members to learn about opportunities in San Antonio and how they might grow and scale their businesses here.
Through the work of the San Antonio Chamber’s Cybersecurity Industry Council, our cybersecurity industry leadership aligned to the work of the SAEDF’s Forefront SA plan. This very targeted and focused visit will result in outcomes that will allow our community to grow this emerging industry.
For more information on the Chamber’s Cybersecurity Industry Council and how to get involved contact Will Garrett at wgarrett@sachamber.org.
