High-Technology Key to O.C.’s Future, Survey Says

IRVINE — A new survey by UC Irvine shows that nearly two-thirds of Orange County’s residents consider further development of high-tech and biomedical industries as the key to revitalizing the local economy.

The survey said 64% of those surveyed view the computer and electronics industries as “highly important” to Orange County’s future economic growth. Biomedical and biotechnology industries were considered “highly important” to 58% of those surveyed.

The results were part of the university’s 1992 Orange County Annual Survey, which was conducted by UCI pollster Mark Baldassare from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2. In this year’s survey, 1,012 adults were asked their opinions on issues relating to health sciences.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The survey was commissioned by Walter Henry, vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of UCI’s College of Medicine. Henry is also promoting construction of a multimillion-dollar health science center that would lease space to local biotechnology companies.

“This is encouraging to us as we seek to develop the proposed Center for Health Sciences,” he said in the prepared statement issued by the university.

The survey shows that fewer than half of the county’s residents believe that two once highly regarded industries, aerospace and tourism, are vital to the future of Orange County’s economy.

“Orange County residents are realizing that high-tech industry is the way of the future here,” Baldassare said in a prepared statement issued Friday afternoon by UCI. “We can’t rely on industries of the past.”