State of Innovation Summit Calls for Innovation-Driven Recovery for Arizona

Partnership for Economic Innovation, ASU and local and global business leaders convene the State of Innovation Summit January 28th, 2021 to champion the New Economy Initiative and applied technology research as catalysts for the next phase of Arizona's economy

(Phoenix, Ariz.) – On January 28th, Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), ASU and special guests from local and international business communities convened the AZ State of Innovation Summit. This free virtual event examined technology's role as a leading driver of Arizona’s new economy, with the potential to propel the state to the forefront as a national and global leader in innovation by 2030, provide more opportunities for a resilient workforce and elevate quality of life for families of all backgrounds.

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Watch the Applied Research Panel

Watch the Science and Technology Panel

Watch Chris Camacho's Address

Watch Jim Rounds' Presentation

Watch the entire Summit here

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Download the FY22 Public Investment in New Economy & Innovation Ecosystem Overview

NEI FY22 PEI 12621

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Download PDF • 12.61MB

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Innovation Will Fuel the New Economy

For every 100 technology jobs created in Arizona in 2020, 252 jobs were added across other industries.[1] Home-grown Arizona entrepreneurs joined global business leaders to discuss the exciting work of innovators driving Arizona’s ecosystem today and into the future. State and local leaders discussed the strategies, investments and policies necessary to build the infrastructure to meet the demands of future industries. And economic experts covered how to create new types of opportunities for businesses to develop world-changing ideas in Arizona.

“To rise to the demands of future industries and build a world-class economy fueled by innovation, Arizona must continue to evolve, advance and invest in growing talent, research and development, and provide more opportunities for start-ups and entrepreneurs to succeed,” said Dean Duncan, executive director of PEI.

“Innovation that comes from the applied research PEI is leading, combined with Greater Phoenix's world-class university assets, are key ingredients for catalyzing the next phase of our regional innovation economy," said Chris Camacho, president & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

State of Innovation Summit Program

A New Vision for Arizona by 2030

• Mi-Ai Parrish, President & CEO of MAP Strategies Group and former publisher of Arizona Republic and USA Today Arizona

• John Graham, President & CEO of Sunbelt Holdings

Catalysts for Innovation

• Kyle Squires, Dean of Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

• Zachary Holman, Director of Faculty Entrepreneurship of Fulton Schools of Engineering

• Peter Firth, Co-Founder of Swift Coat

• Dr. Qiang Fu, Director of TSMC

Bringing New Tech Products to Market

• State Representative Jeff Weninger

• Scott Carlson, Director Innovation, Head of Blockchain & Digital Asset Security of Kudelski Security

• Joe Hitt, CEO of GoX Labs

• Marc Jacofsky, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of The CORE Institute

Case for a Thriving Economy

• Jim Rounds, President of Rounds Consulting Group

• Chris Camacho, President & CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council

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About Partnership for Economic Innovation

Partnership for Economic Innovation is a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating economic opportunities for Greater Phoenix. We believe innovation’s next challenge isn’t exponential growth, it’s exponential impact—which is why PEI is investing in community-building technology and R&D designed to make Greater Phoenix more resilient and empower innovators to bring world-changing ideas to market.

Our initiatives include:

Pipeline AZ, a career exploration platform creating more transparent pathways to advanced industry jobs and connecting Arizona workers to any training they might need to get there.

The Connective, Greater Phoenix’s internationally acclaimed Smart Region collaborative, convening cities, industries and entrepreneurs to lay the open innovation groundwork to solve Regional challenges.

WearTech and Blockchain Applied Research Centers are accelerating the development of emerging technology products with the potential to radically transform healthcare, keep us safer and more secure.

Media Contacts:

Sophie O’Keefe-Zelman

OH Strategic Communications

Stephanie Tomlin

Partnership for Economic Innovation

Download the official release:

For Immediate Release - ASU, PEI to Host

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Download • 2.21MB

References: [1] Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report 2020 Q3