On January 28th, 2021 from 12:00 -1:30 PM Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), ASU and special guests from local and international business communities will hold the Arizona State of Innovation Summit. This free virtual event will feature an industry-led discussion of applied research, its impact on the economy and Arizona’s prime position as a rising national and global leader in innovation. The event is open to the public and media. Tickets can be reserved here.

For every 100 technology jobs created in Arizona in 2020, 252 jobs were added across other industries.[1] The summit will examine the technology sector’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.

Home-grown Arizona entrepreneurs will join global business leaders at the Arizona State of Innovation Summit to discuss the exciting work of innovators driving Arizona’s ecosystem today and into the future. State and local leaders will discuss the strategies, investments and policies necessary to build the infrastructure to meet the demands of future industries. And economic experts will discuss 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 and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

The full program agenda for the Summit is below.

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