Bianca, Author at Arizona Technology Council

Diversity is priority for Banner Health with new supplier program

InBusiness PHX Banner Health has launched its Supplier Diversity Program at a community event attended by leaders of the diverse business community. The event provided an opportunity to learn more about Banner Health, the Supplier Diversity Program, and meet the individuals at Banner responsible for the leadership, support, and day-to-day operations of the program. “Supplier diversity and ...

ACA announces semifinalists for the 2023 Arizona Innovation Challenge

InBusiness PHX The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced today that 30 semifinalists have been selected for the 2023 Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC). The AIC is designed to advance innovation and technology commercialization opportunities in Arizona by helping early-stage ventures scale. “Narrowing it down to just 30 semifinalists from 100 applicants for this year’s competition...

KORE Power selects Siemens Xcelerator to optimize production at Arizona gigafactory

InBusiness PHX Siemens announced that KORE Power, Inc., the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy and e-mobility industries, has selected advanced manufacturing software and hardware from the Siemens Xcelerator open business platform for the KOREPlex. This new 1,330,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility in Arizona will use multiple production...

SRP board approves system plan strategies to bring customers affordable, reliable and sustainable power

InBusiness PHX SRP’s District Board of Directors approved power system strategies to be implemented between 2025 and 2035 that prioritize affordability, reliability, sustainability and customer focus. The strategies are outlined in SRP’s new Integrated System Plan, which was developed as part of a two-year, data-driven planning process that incorporated perspectives from Arizona univer...

Nearly 40 companies expanded in the Valley in the past year. GPEC says even more in the pipeline

Phoenix Business Journal Nearly 40 businesses decided to expand in the Phoenix area in fiscal year 2023 through Greater Phoenix Economic Council and its partners, according to the economic development organization’s annual report. These included major projects such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s and LG Energy Solution’s expanded investments as well as tradit...

Arizona eCommerce Conference set to elevate online eCommerce strategies in Tempe

atmosol Press Release atmosol, a leading technology agency, is hosting the first-ever Arizona eCommerce Conference, scheduled in Tempe, Arizona, on October 26, 2023. This event will bring together industry experts (BigCommerce, accessiBe, Klevu, etc.), entrepreneurs, and eCommerce enthusiasts from across the state and beyond, creating an opportunity for information exchange, networking, and di...

Arizona Board of Regents announces new medical school at NAU

Phoenix Business Journal Northern Arizona University is getting a new medical school at its campus in Flagstaff. The Arizona Board of Regents announced the decision Sept. 29 as part of a call for its public universities to close the health care workforce gap, committing millions of dollars to the effort. The university expects the medical school to prepare the next generation of doctors to m...

Embracing diversity: The strength of an international workforce

In today’s globalized world, businesses are continually evolving and adapting to the dynamics of a multicultural marketplace. Among the strategies that forward-thinking industries are implementing is the integration of an international workforce. This deliberate move has proven to be a catalyst for growth and innovation, particularly in sectors like aviation, mining, automotive, construc...

Nxu Inc. set for field trials of electric vehicle charging system

Phoenix Business Journal Nxu Inc. is launching public field trials of its electric vehicle charging system in Mesa, a move that marks the company’s latest product pivot in a path toward profitability. Tempe-based Nxu (Nasdaq: NXU) will begin field trials of its Nxu One charging system on Sept. 28 at its Mesa manufacturing facility at 1828 N. Higley Road. Nxu One has a charging rate of more ...

Lucid Group eyes global market; opens Saudi Arabia’s first-ever auto production plant

Phoenix Business Journal Lucid Group Inc., which rolled out its Arizona electric luxury vehicle plant in 2021, on Sept. 27 said it had opened its first international manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, as the oil-rich nation joins the rest of the globe in a move away from production of cars that emit greenhouse gases. Newark, California-based Lucid (Nasdaq: LCID) had unveiled plans last y...

EV company co-led by Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter chooses Phoenix for HQ

AZ Inno An electric vehicle company co-founded by Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter says it’s choosing Phoenix as the site of a headquarters and manufacturing facility for its proposed NR1 electric vehicle. However, the company is still in the early planning stages. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Electric Vehicle Group co-founders Ndileka Mandela and B. Taylor visited Phoenix-based Integro B...

Amazon submits plans for multiple data centers in Mesa

Phoenix Business Journal Amazon.com Inc. has submitted plans that would significantly increase its footprint in the East Valley. Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) has filed presubmittal documents with Mesa’s planning office for two separate data centers about four miles apart in southeast Mesa. Both proposed projects would be built on land owned by Amazon. The plans for the data centers are almost ident...

Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce announces the 29th annual Scottsdale History Hall of Fame inductees

The Past Presidents’ Council of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce today announced the 2024 Inductees for the 29th Annual Scottsdale History Hall of Fame event to be held Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The event honoring individuals, local companies, and non-profit organizations is presented by event sponsor, the Scottsdale Charros. “The Past President’s Council is proud to announce this...

Winners announced for “Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023” Awards

The Teich Group and Catapult X announce the winners of the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023 Awards, the only awards program judged by STEM educators. The awards program, operated in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and MCH Strategic Data, and for the first time this year with the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products,...

Clean energy news: September 2023

Arizona, other Southwest states agree on new Colorado River water plan; We Recycle Solar expands operation in Arizona; ASU to lead new DOE Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute; how a Phoenix district's electric school buses could protect kids and help them learn; Bosch and Nikola are ready with hydrogen; Atlis Motor Vehicles gains shareholder approval for rebrand to Nxu; Buckeye give...

Member news: September 2023

Intero Digital guest blog: What is pay-per-click advertising and how does it help your business?; Waymo and Uber partner to bring Waymo's autonomous driving technology to the Uber platform; Terkel guest blog: 14 collaboration tips for global remote teams; Encora to acquire European software engineering services company; TSMC announced its Arizona microchip factory 3 years ago - here's what has ...

Embracing diversity in health care: Banner is unlocking the power of inclusive care for the LGBTQ+ community

InBusiness PHX Dr. Varun Monga and Dr. Venkata Buddhavarapu, alongside other clinicians in the United States, have co-authored a transformative publication titled “Gender Inclusive Care Toolkit for Hospitals” in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. This toolkit paves the way for a new era in patient care, setting a gold standard for gender inclusivity in medical practice to address d...

Freepoint Eco-Systems to construct advanced recycling facility in Arizona

InBusiness PHX Freepoint Eco-Systems LLC (“Freepoint”) announced the development of a commercial-scale advanced plastics recycling facility located in Eloy, Arizona. The ISCC Plus Certified facility will recycle end-of-life waste plastic otherwise destined for landfills or incineration. It will span 40 acres of currently undeveloped land and have the capacity to recycle approximately 180,...

Valley Residents continue to make the switch to electric vehicles at a rapid rate

InBusiness PHX Whether tired of high gas prices or not being able to drive in the HOV lane, Valley residents continue to make the switch to electric vehicles at a rapid rate. People living in SRP territory have surpassed EV adoption targets in the last few years, with more than 40,500 EVs leased or purchased in SRP’s service territory as of this April. SRP hears from customers that the switc...

ASU receives $39.8M federal grant to create microelectronics innovation hub

Phoenix Business Journal Arizona State University has landed a $39.8 million federal grant to create a regional network for microelectronics education, research and development in the Southwest. The U.S Department of Defense on Wednesday announced it awarded $238 million in CHIPS Act funding to eight recipients nationwide — including ASU — to establish regional innovation hubs through what...

EPS Global guest blog: Beating the supply chain crunch, a case study for open networking

EPS Global In this episode of The Critical Lowdown, Alan Fagan, who manages Sales for North America at EPS Global, moderates a panel featuring Jeff Hummel, Technical Services Supervisor and Nathan Gerencser, Senior Network Engineer both from MetaLINK; and Vince Schuele, Senior Network Architect from IP ArchiTechs. If you would prefer to listen to the full podcast, you can listen here. &...

ASU ranked no. 1 in innovation for 9th straight year by U.S. News

InBusiness PHX For the ninth year in a row, Arizona State University is No. 1 in innovation among American universities, ahead of Stanford, MIT and Caltech, in the newly released annual “Best Colleges” 2024 rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The continued recognition underscores ASU’s commitment to being a New American University — an enterprise dedicated to the simultane...

Nikola Corporation appoints new chief operating officer

InBusiness PHX Nikola Corporation (Nasdaq: NKLA), a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions, via its HYLA brand, today announced the appointment of Mary Chan as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective October 9, 2023. In her capacity as COO, Chan will lead the company’s engineering, program, product, supply chain, and manufacturing tea...

DoorDash widens grocery delivery service in Phoenix

Phoenix Business Journal Third-party delivery service DoorDash Inc. (NYSE: DASH) announced Monday it has signed deals with eight new supermarket chains, including some in Arizona, to increase its on-demand grocery delivery offering. DoorDash is already a key delivery partner with Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (Nasdaq: SFM), Albertsons and Safeway and with Raley’s Cos., the parent...

Phoenix gets $10 million grant to plant more trees, cool the city and fight the heat

KTAR News The city of Phoenix got a ton of green earlier this week — in the form of both plants and money. The United States Forest Service awarded the city with $10 million for tree-planting efforts, officials said. They hope this will promote equitable cooling throughout the Valley. Equitable cooling is a hot topic in the sustainability world. Tree equity refers to the unequal distribut...

Amphenol Industrial Operations expands in Mesa with new solar product factory

Phoenix Business Journal An East Coast manufacturer continues to expand in the East Valley. New York-based Amphenol Industrial Operations, a division of Connecticut-based Amphenol Corp. (NYSE: APH), is set to open a solar product factory in Mesa during the fourth quarter of 2023. The new 58,000-square-foot space will be used for manufacturing solar junction boxes, connectors, and other advance...

Arizona Tech Investors to back dozens of companies as organization grows membership

AZ Inno One of the state’s most prominent angel investment groups is growing its membership and is poised to back dozens of companies in the coming year. Arizona Tech Investors, which is celebrating its 14th year in operation this month, will screen more than 100 startups and invite 15 to 20 of the most promising, investment-ready companies to pitch in front of its membership, according to t...

Nikola expands into Canada with dealer network partnership

Phoenix Business Journal Nikola Corp. is expanding its electric truck dealer network into Canada via a partnership with Toronto-based commercial trailer manufacturer ITD Industries Inc. The Phoenix-based electric truck maker announced the partnership with ITD Industries on Friday, stating Canada is a “premium market with a supportive population, industry and government” for addressing impa...

Climate tech company CarbonCapture partners with ASU to design regional hub

AZ Inno A Los Angeles-based startup is partnering with Arizona State University to design a regional carbon dioxide capture hub that could spur significant job creation and position the Grand Canyon State as a leader in the climate tech industry. CarbonCapture — which makes direct air capture machines to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — ASU and industry partners are in discussi...

Honeywell collaborates with Department of Energy on hydrogen fuel innovation for drones

AZ Inno Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace is working with the federal government on an innovative hydrogen fuel storage system for unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) has entered a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, to spend the next year providing its expertise and testing for fuel cartridge technology, supp...

SRP invests more than $2.6M in research and development projects with ASU, NAU and UArizona

InBusiness PHX As part of ongoing research and development efforts to improve the Valley’s power system and watershed, this school year SRP invested more than $2.6 million in 36 projects with Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. These projects are part of SRP’s commitment to the reliable delivery of power and water, and each project is asses...

Intel sells $430M piece of subsidiary to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Phoenix Business Journal Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is selling a 10% stake in IMS Nanofabrication, its second big sale of a piece of the Austria-based supplier of advanced chip-manufacturing technology in the past three months. The agreement announced Sept. 12 is with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM: NYSE), the world’s largest semiconductor maker, at the same $4.3 billion valuation tha...

Tucson’s IRLabs announces new name and positions for growth

Infrared Laboratories, Inc., a Tucson-based optics and cryogenics company, is pleased to announce it has adopted its common nickname, IRLabs, as its new company name. This name change is representative of the company’s positioning for future growth with new leadership, new branding and a new website. Since 1967 the company has been well known in global astronomy and scientific research s...

Five startups selected for University of Arizona accelerator program

AZ Inno The University of Arizona has selected five startups, including two from the Valley, for the inaugural cohort of its Crucible at Forge accelerator program. The Crucible at Forge is an eight-week program intended to support growth of advanced startups by preparing them for investment. Startup founders in the cohort will receive rigorous professional development, mentorship, milestone ev...

Tempe-based Erthos raises $24 million in funding to scale large solar projects

AZ Inno A Tempe-based solar panel startup has raised a new round of funding and inked an agreement for a 180-megawatt solar plant in Mississippi, bringing its total projects under contract to 18 nationwide. Erthos secured $24 million in equity financing led by Capricorn Investment Group, a sustainability-focused venture capital firm that was an early backer of Tesla, SpaceX and Helion. The new...

Leading semiconductor company expands operations to Arizona and locates at the University of Arizona Tech Park

Strike Photonics, Inc. has selected Tucson for its newest expansion location, bringing new investment into Southern Arizona. As a pioneer in semiconductor technology, Strike Photonics uses world-changing semiconductor technology innovation to develop product solutions driving advancement in several key sectors including biotechnology, electronic defense, telecommunications, and optical computi...

Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invests in entrepreneurial women with Wells Fargo’s help

Phoenix Business Journal Rachel Martinez is a researcher turned entrepreneur who initially found a career in libraries. She enjoys researching different topics and helping people from different backgrounds learn. The pandemic in 2020 rocked the field of higher education where she and her co-worker, Julie Allen, worked. That led to them creating Watch Me Learning Services in 2022. The instruc...

SRP, German battery maker team up for long-duration energy storage pilot

AZ Inno Valley nonprofit electric utility Salt River Project is teaming up with a German company that makes long-duration energy storage systems for a pilot storage project to serve customers in the Phoenix metro. The project, called Desert Blume, will use proprietary non-lithium battery technology from CMBlu Energy to store 5 megawatts of energy, mostly from solar generation during the daytim...

Intero Digital guest blog: Introduction to email marketing

Welcome to the fifth installment in our Intero Digital, Digital Marketing 101 series. So far, we’ve covered introductions to other digital marketing techniques such as SEO, SEM, SMA/SMM, and Amazon marketing. In this chapter, we will take a brief but thorough look at the power of email marketing and how it can help a business to grow. What is Email Marketing? Email marketing is any commercia...

City of Phoenix named top green fleet of 2023

InBusiness PHX The City of Phoenix won the Top Green Fleet Award for 2023 from the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). The annual Green Fleet Awards honor organizations that make a positive impact on the environment with their groundbreaking green initiatives. “Earning the Top Green Fleet of 2023 award is a testament to our city’s commitment to sustainability and...

Google announces new commitment to Arizona, breaks ground on $600M data center

InBusiness PHX Google broke ground on a new $600 million data center in Mesa, and will use state-of-the-art technology to air cool the facility. This will be the company’s first physical presence in the state. Governor Katie Hobbs, Mesa Mayor John Giles, and other community leaders joined Google in celebrating the announcement during an event today in Mesa. Google’s continued investment...

MCCCD uses VR to recruit and develop Arizona’s manufacturing workforce

Phoenix Business Journal The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is pioneering virtual reality (VR) to promote entry-level manufacturing career paths across the Valley. In an innovative partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AzAMI) at Mesa Community College, Baltu Technologies, and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), MCCCD is recruiting the next generation of the ...

Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) announces AZBizCon Tucson

The Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) proudly presents its second AZBizCon Expo of2023, an in-person event on September 13, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Tucson Association of Realtorsoffice. Registration is available for free to the public at www.asba.com/azbizcon. ASBA’s AZBizCon in Phoenix was a tremendous success, and ASBA is thrilled to bring the organization’ssignature trade...

Accelerator program launches to teach small business owners strategies to win state government contracts

InBusiness PHX The RFP Success® Company is launching a first-of-its-kind accelerator program to teach small business owners the tools and strategies necessary to win state government contracts. Designed for small business leaders, the program will be spearheaded by The RFP Success® Company Founder & CEO Lisa Rehurek. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to serve small businesses ...

Report reveals Arizona ranks third for most new clean energy jobs in BIPOC communities

Phoenix Business Journal Arizona ranks third for the most new clean energy jobs in BIPOC communities, with 12,720 jobs and companies investing upward of $8 billion. That’s according to a new report from climate action advocacy organization Climate Power. The “Clean Energy Boom In Communities of Color” report also indicates that a majority of clean energy projects are in communi...

Electric truck maker with presence in Goodyear partners to make battery cells in the US

Phoenix Business Journal Daimler Truck, the German company that makes electric big rigs for the U.S. market in Portland, Oregon, and has a parts distribution center in Goodyear, is in a new joint venture to manufacture battery cells in the United States. Daimler and partners Cummins (NYSE: CMI) and Paccar (Nasdaq: PCAR) said they expect to invest $2 billion to $3 billion into the Accelera jo...

Raytheon logs another successful test fire in Air Force missile program

Phoenix Business Journal The Tucson-based Raytheon missile manufacturing division of RTX said it has successfully completed the first flight test of the AIM-120C-8 missile, marking a key milestone in a U.S. Air Force program to upgrade its weaponry. Taking down an aerial target after being fired from an F-15C Eagle fighter jet, the test mission completed all its primary objectives, Raytheon an...

2 Arizona small businesses receive USDA grant money for disaster response, agriculture projects

KTAR News Two Arizona small businesses are receiving money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support research that addresses critical scientific challenges and opportunities in agriculture, the department announced Wednesday. A total of 76 businesses around the country will receive a portion of over $12.5 million as a part of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small B...

Grand Canyon University expecting record enrollment

InBusiness PHX Grand Canyon University is expecting another record-breaking class of new students in 2023-24 despite the continued downward trajectory of college enrollments across the country. GCU is projecting a more than 14% increase in new students from last year, including a class of more than 11,000 incoming traditional-age (21 and under) students attending both the Phoenix campus and ...

August 2023 TechCast | How to Level Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy

The May 2023 episode of the Arizona Technology Council's AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Joe Cestari, executive director at Kiterocket; Travis Kelly, president and CEO of Isola Group and chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America; and Monica McDade, project manager at Leonardo Electronics US - Laser Solutions. These leaders joined Bianca Buliga, director of marke...