Mike Madsen Highlights PEI’s Impact on Greater Phoenix’s Innovation Economy

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PEI Board Member and former Honeywell CEO Mike Madsen used his recent appearance on PBS’s Arizona Horizon to spotlight the Partnership for Economic Innovation as a key driver of Greater Phoenix’s innovation economy. He described how PEI works to turn big ideas into real-world impact by supporting applied research, building industry–university partnerships, and helping emerging technologies move from lab to market. By convening leaders from business, education, and government, PEI focuses on shared regional challenges such as workforce readiness, infrastructure needs, and the growth of a strong local supplier network, all aimed at creating quality jobs and long-term economic opportunity in the region. As Madsen put it, “P.E.I., or the Partnership for Economic Innovation, is really focused on fostering innovation amongst the innovators here in the Valley—identifying the challenges they face and then helping them solve it.”

Madsen explained that PEI’s Celebrating Innovation Summit is one of the ways this work comes to life, serving as a platform to showcase innovation already happening across sectors like MedTech, aerospace and defense, and chips and AI. He highlighted participation from organizations including Mayo Clinic, Banner Health, Honeywell, Boeing, and major semiconductor and electronics companies, noting that this diversity of industries helps make Arizona’s economy more resilient and less dependent on any single sector. Across these conversations, he emphasized that talent development remains the top priority, from K–12 and CTE to community colleges and universities, as companies continue to invest in AI and advanced technologies that will shape the region’s future.