Software development is disrupting nearly every industry in the market. Investors are recognizing opportunity and investing tens of billions of dollars in US companies with the hope of finding the next "Uber of" health care, finance, security or energy.

It may be obvious to some, but come as a surprise to many, that San Diego is at the center of this technological revolution. San Diego's role isn't just in creating the next marketing platform or social media app, though the region is home to many amazing firms that are changing this space. San Diego is solving the world's most challenging problems with software. San Diego software developers are accelerating the pace at which we can decode and read the human genome; they are creating safer and more efficient training solutions for the nation's military; and they are developing communicative platforms to improve medical interoperability and lower the cost of health care.

I recently authored a report with San Diego Regional EDC titled “Software Development: Driving San Diego’s Tech Ecosystem,” released on March 29th. The study dives deep into San Diego's pervasive software development ecosystem, determining the depth and breadth, the economic impacts, the capital infrastructure, and the region's position relative to other major metropolitan areas.

The findings speak for itself. San Diego's software development ecosystem consists of more than 40,000 professionals, working in a wide range of industries. In fact, a software developer in San Diego is two times more likely to work in scientific research and development than peers across the state of California. Software development accounts for 1 out of every 6 jobs in the region's innovation economy, and generates a $12.2 billion economic impact on the region's economy.

Moreover, the region compares favorably to metros across the U.S., including peers like Austin, Denver, Los Angeles and New York. The study combined eight metrics across four categories to determine each region's comprehensive software development score. The result is the Software Development Power Index, in which San Diego ranks #7 in the nation. The region ranks in the top ten in every category measured, which includes concentration, talent, prosperity and capital.

After spending more than a year researching this subject for this report, I am confident that San Diego is in a great position to continue to capitalize on the wave of investment and economic growth in the industries that are heavily influenced by software development. I encourage you to read the executive summary or the full report and reach out to me with any questions or comments. I hope this report inspires leaders in San Diego to get involved with projects and programs that will help continue to make San Diego a top region for software development.