The Digital Coast of Southern California is home to the largest combination of companies developing, distributing, and delivering digital media to meet the needs of a wide range of market interests from the critical demands of health care to the recreational pleasures of entertainment.

And so it should. Southern California has one of the most diverse economies in the world. It is the nation's largest manufacturing base, the design center for the automotive and industrial products industries, a major center for fashion and recreation and the world center of the entertainment industry. In addition, the region's airports and shipping ports are among the world's busiest.

The history of the region encompasses the technological achievements and innovations of the aerospace industry including communications, satellites and global positioning systems. The region is also a center for design, whether it be for apparel, furniture or clothing. Most major automobile companies have design studios here.

Since the early days of the motion picture industry, Southern California has been home to a vast entertainment industry that encompases television, commercials, theme parks and movies.

20 reasons for doing business in LA County, according to the Chief Economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC). LA has a host of assets that are powerful tools for business development.

The business interests and talents of the Digital Coast, from Santa Barbara to San Diego, unlike other regions, thus cover the range from technology to content. Companies in this region developing Internet-based digital media, software tools and utilities, databases, applications for education and preservation of our cultural heritage, consumer entertainment, and electronic commerce across the board, all contribute to the mosaic that is new media.

According to the Bay Area Economic Forum, Southern California has almost twice as many jobs in new media than the Bay Area. The broad base of talent, background and history in the Southland, from communications technology to creative storytelling, will drive the formation of new businesses and bring thousands of new jobs to the region.

The digital revolution is a business revolution fostering the growth of new markets, new distribution methods and networks, new consumer and legal practices, and, most importantly, new ways for companies to collaborate.

Amidst all this diversity, the Digital Coast represents what is shared by Southland companies: continued growth and excellence throughout the region. The Digital Coast moniker brings the many together as one. It serves as a brand identity to help develop and market the Southland globally.

Capturing this amazing complex of activity and economic power, the Digital Coast Roundtable is conducting a study of the industries which define the digital media landscape in the region. The study, tentatively titled: A Stake in the Ground, will cover the demographics of the industry in the region, identify the factors that are propelling its growth, discuss the public policy issues which confront it, and develop an on-going agenda for its success. Among the outcomes is an interactive web presence which will continue to drive initiatives coming out of the study.