The Medical Device Capital of the World
Orange County’s Life Sciences industry has become one of the primary drivers of economic growth in the county.
As highlighted in the BIOCOM 2014 Life Sciences Economic Impact Report, Orange County’s Life Sciences industry accounts for a total employment of more than 164,000 people. Distributed over sectors such as Biotech, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Manufacturing, Orange County’s Life Sciences industry is responsible for more than $35.3 billion in annual economic activity.
Notably, Orange County is considered a hub in both the Medical Device/Diagnostics sector and the Biopharmaceuticals sector.
Orange County’s Medical Device/Diagnostics sector has an estimated total economic activity of more than $14.7 billion. In 2013, the sector had a total employment of more than 17,355 people in Orange County as of 2016, which was six and half times the national average.
One of the more prominent leaders in this sector is Edwards Lifesciences, considered the global leader in the science of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring. Started in Orange County, Edwards Lifesciences currently employs more than 4,652 people locally. Orange County is also home to Abbott Medical Optics, which employs 525 people locally and is a recognized international leader in advanced vision technologies.
With an economic impact of more than $11.6 billion, Orange County’s Biopharmaceuticals sector directly employed nearly 4,300 people in 2013 which was one and half times the national average. Allergan, an international leader biopharmaceutical development and commercialization, is headquartered in Orange County and is the largest employer in this sector is with more than 2,400 employees based here.
