That desire for collaboration was the through-line of TechTopia 2026, a half-day summit featuring tours, demonstrations, and talks from leaders tied to UC Santa Barbara, Google Quantum AI, Agilent Technologies, AppFolio, and other firms with roots on the South Coast.
It also doubled as something of a public unveiling for OASIS, UCSB’s new 105,000-square-foot research and development facility at 71 South Los Carneros Road. Announced last year, the building is intended to bridge the gap between campus research and industry deployment — a place where faculty researchers, startup companies, and more established firms can work in closer proximity.
“OASIS is UCSB’s new venture,” Tal Margalith said, describing it as an extension of the research enterprise on campus that brings university work “a lot closer to the industry” that ultimately adopts new technologies.
The building, he explained, is meant to function as a kind of “step-up incubator” for companies outgrowing smaller campus startup spaces but not yet ready to fully enter the commercial real-estate market.