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Arizona Technology Council

Leslie Marquez

Shaping Federal Policy to Power Arizona Innovation: Highlights from the Arizona Technology Council’s 2026 DC Fly-In

In April, the Arizona Technology Council returned to Washington, D.C., for its annual DC Fly-In, bringing together Council leadership, members and national partners for a powerful agenda of policy engagement, collaboration and advocacy on behalf of Arizona’s fast-growing technology ecosystem. AZTC’s 2026 DC Fly-In Delegation: Arizona Technology Council Staff: Steven G. Zylstra, President a...
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Phoenix Solar Co-op Aims to Cut Energy Costs

Signals AZ Nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors (SUN) announced the launch of the Phoenix Solar Co-op to help Phoenix-area residents go solar together. The solar co-op is an opportunity for local homeowners and small businesses to learn about solar energy and if it is right for them. “Going solar is a way to get ahead of rising energy costs,” said Jess White, Solar United Neighbors...
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Lucid names new CEO

Image: Courtesy Lucid. 2024 LM Gravity at Super Charger Station inBusiness PHX Lucid Group Inc. has named a new leader, secured additional investment and expanded its robotaxi partnership with Uber and Nuro, the electric vehicle maker announced Tuesday. California-based Lucid (Nasdaq: LCID), which manufactures its vehicles south of Phoenix in Casa Grande, appointed Silvio Napoli as chief...
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Nation’s First K-12 Semiconductor Training Cleanroom Opens in Phoenix

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusiness PHX Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC), a public career and technical education school district, is expanding Arizona’s workforce pipeline with the opening of the nation’s first K-12 CTE advanced manufacturing cleanroom at its Northeast Campus in north Phoenix. Designed to replicate real-world semiconductor and advanced manufacturing enviro...
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Intel joins Terafab project as chipmaker seeks manufacturing comeback

Phoenix Business Journal Intel Corp. is joining Elon Musk’s long-shot effort to build advanced semiconductors for Tesla Inc., SpaceX and xAI, marking an unexpected alliance as the chipmaker works to reclaim its standing in a fiercely competitive industry. California-based Intel, which has major chip factories in Arizona, said Tuesday it will help the so-called Terafab project “ref...
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New solar farms in Cochise County bring renewable energy to over 90,000 homes across the state of Arizona.

Apache Solar II, a large-scale solar and battery energy storage project in Cochise County, officially entered commercial operation Dec. 5, adding renewable capacity to ED3’s system. [Image: ED3] inBusiness PHX TEP and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative are changing how they collect power by building new solar farms in Cochise County. Combined, the companies are bringing renewable energy ...
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ASU Breaks Ground on Downtown Phoenix Health Headquarters

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusiness PHX General contractor McCarthy Building Companies, with its design partners, CO Architects and DFDG Architects joined university and state leaders to break ground on Arizona State University’s new Health Headquarters building in downtown Phoenix. The approximately 175,000-square-foot, five-story facility being constructed in the downtown Phoenix...
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Five Arizona Utilities Fund Grants for Communities Impacted by Coal Transition

inBusiness PHX Five organizations serving Arizona communities impacted by the transition away from coal-fired power plants will receive grant funds to support their local economies from the Utility Grant Funding Program. The program is jointly funded by Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power and provides critical support to develop new, sustainable eco...
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Six Arizona entrepreneurs named to Inc.’s Female Founders 500 Including Vivian Valenty from VB Cosmetics

Vivian Valenty, the founder of the quick-drying nail care system Dazzle Dry is one of six Arizona women who made the 2026 Inc Female Founder 500 list. Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal inBusiness PHX   Several Valley women made the 2026 Inc. Female Founders 500 list. Six Arizona honorees were on The 500 list, which was announced earlier this month. Some were additionally r...
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Phoenix Commits $50M to ASU Health, Expanding Bioscience Core

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusiness PHX Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council approved a $50 million investment into ASU Health, which will house ASU’s John Shufelt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering on the Phoenix Bioscience Core in downtown. The Council’s vote—a unanimous one—pledges an additional $38 million from the City’s Sports Facility, Biosciences, and Touri...
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Phantom Space acquires Utah thermal tech firm to speed orbital data center

Phantom Space Corp. plans to accelerate development of its rocket launch vehicle after acquiring assets and intellectual property from Vector Launch Inc. Image: Phantom Space   Phoenix Business Journal Phantom Space Co. has made another key acquisition that the Tucson-based company says will speed up development of an orbital data center system it is building. With the acquisition ...
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Honeywell Aerospace Inks $500M Agreement with U.S. Department of War

    inBusiness PHX Honeywell Aerospace announced it has signed a groundbreaking supplier framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War (DoW) to rapidly increase the production of critical defense technologies. This agreement includes a $500 million multi-year investment to upgrade the company’s production capacity. Honeywell Aerospace is among the first Tier 1 supp...
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SkySong Marks Two Decades as Tech, Innovation Anchor in Scottsdale

SanTan Valley SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of growth from a bold concept into one of Arizona’s most influential hubs for technology, entrepreneurship and global business. The project, developed through a partnership between Plaza Companies, Arizona State University and the City of Scottsdale, was launched...
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New Solar and Battery Project Planned in Pinal County to Help Power Valley Homes

SanTan Valley A new solar and battery storage project planned for Pinal County could soon help provide electricity for thousands of homes across the Valley, including many SRP customers in San Tan Valley and nearby communities. Salt River Project (SRP) recently announced an agreement with energy company Invenergy to build the SunDog Energy Center, a project that will add 200 megawatts o...
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Arizona utility regulators voted to repeal renewable energy standards. What it means for taxpayers

KJZZ Arizona utility regulators earlier March formally voted to repeal the state’s renewable energy standards. The Corporation Commission, though, had been taking steps for some time that signaled this was the direction it was headed. The standards had been in effect since 2006. They required regulated utilities, like APS and Tucson Electric Power, to get at least 15% of their energy ...
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Comcast Business Guest Post: How AI is Reshaping Unified Communications

Image: Comcast Business Comcast Business AI is transforming unified communications by significantly enhancing workflow management between customer-facing and back-office employees, streamlining data flow, and improving decision-making. By 2026, most enterprises will adopt AI-enabled cloud communication APIs to enhance personalized customer and employee engagement, driving better business outc...
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Arevon Energy taps internal leader as CEO after record-breaking year of financing

Phoenix Business Journal Arevon Energy Inc., the Scottsdale developer and operator of large-scale solar and battery storage projects nationwide, has named Justin Johnson as CEO. Johnson, who has been with the company since 2021, had previously been Arevon’s chief operating officer but was moved into the interim CEO slot in February after former CEO Justin Smith departed. Smith j...
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Raytheon snags $8.41 billion contract modification for missile defense work

Phoenix Business Journal The Tucson-based missile manufacturing operation of Raytheon racked up a number of multibillion-dollar contracts in 2025, and this past week provided an indication that momentum is set to continue. The U.S. military’s Missile Defense Agency on March 18 announced that it awarded Raytheon an $8.41 billion contract modification that boosted the ceiling of an o...
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Optical Perspectives Guest Post: Women’s History Month – Why is Tucson called Optics Valley?

Optical Perspectives Group By: Bob Parks of Optical Perspectives Group Since it’s Women’s History month, a question from my lawyer (a woman) about why Tucson is called “Optics Valley” reminded me of two influential women who are largely responsible for that legacy. The first is Lavinia Steward of Oracle, Arizona, who made the largest private donation to the University of Arizona up to...
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Comcast Business Guest Post: A New Era in Cybersecurity

Image: Royalty Free, Comcast Business Comcast Business As threats intensify, speedy detection and mitigation are key. For a long time, companies viewed cybersecurity through the prism of prevention—building higher walls and wider moats around their corporate networks in hopes of fending off potential intrusions. When the network perimeter was clearly defined and confined, that strategy m...
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Tribal clean energy funding dropped $1.5B. Tribes are finding another way.

Solar panels operate at the Kayenta Solar Plant in Kayenta, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. Photo: Neeta Lind/Flickr Tucson Sentinel Across tribal nations, hosting a convening with dinner and a tour of an ambitious new project is a familiar scene. But for David Harper, a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes and CEO of the newly created tribal energy financing organization Huurav, ...
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New report shows Arizona added a record amount of solar capacity in 2025

KJZZ New data shows that Arizona installed a record amount of solar capacity last year. Arizona added nearly 2-gigwatts of solar power, bringing the total amount statewide to about 11.5 gigawatts. To put that in perspective, APS’ peak demand last year was more than 8 and a half gigawatts. The gains were the largest among utilities, followed by residential and commercial sectors. W...
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Amazon-Backed Robotaxi Co. to Debut in Phoenix, Plans for Operations Hub

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusiness PHX Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous taxi spin-off, announced that they are launching operations in Arizona, beginning with Phoenix, and expanding testing in Texas to Dallas. To support its growing operations, the company will also be opening new depots in Phoenix and Dallas, as well as a new Fusion Center facility in Scottsdale, creating hundreds of jobs ...
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Lucid Reveals New Midsize Platform and Purpose-Built Robotaxi Concept

Image: inBusiness PHX | Lucid shared details of its upcoming Midsize platform at Lucid Investor Day 2026. inBusiness PHX Lucid Group, Inc., maker of software-defined vehicles and technologies, announced a comprehensive financial and product strategy designed to scale its business, accelerate its path to profitability and positive free cash flow, and extend its technology leadership in...
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SRP Board to Vote on Summer Power Rate Decrease

Image: inBusiness PHX       inBusiness PHX  To help provide bill relief to customers during the hottest time of the year, Salt River Project management will propose a temporary overall 3 percent summer price decrease through a reduction in its Fuel and Purchased Power Adjustment Mechanism. If approved by the SRP Board Finance and Budget Committee, the entire...
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Honeywell Aerospace files paperwork for public company spinoff

Honeywell Aerospace on Tuesday filed regulatory paperwork for its spin-off from its Charlotte-based parent company Honeywell International, with plans to complete the separation in the third quarter.Provided by Honeywell Aerospace       Phoenix Business Journal Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace is a step closer to becoming an independent public company. Honeywell Ae...
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Why Communities Thrive When Inclusion Is Not Optional

Black history is American history, and Black History month shines a light on the many contributions of so many Black people in the country that, for so long, did not have a flashlight. President Gerald Ford said it best: “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The tech industry is no exce...
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Comcast Business Guest Post: From Data to Decisions: Unlocking the Power of Smart Technology

Comcast Business As enterprises deploy an ever‑growing web of internet-connected sensors, cameras, and digital touchpoints, they’re swimming in data. Yet, only organizations that can quickly transform that data into actionable insight will reap the full benefits of smart technology, like intelligent automation and more informed decision making across the enterprise. Join us for a practical ...
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SECURE DATA ORCHESTRATION FOR INDUSTRY 5.0

Bridging Intelligent Automation and Digital Trust through Edge-Centric Security BC Automation and Asterion DB have launched a strategic partnership to provide the foundational data security required for Industry 5.0. This collaboration integrates Asterion DB’s extensible data orchestration with BC Automation’s Manufacturing Intelligence Platform (MIP) to secure human-machine collaboration ...
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Arizona State University Breaks Ground on McCain Library

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusiness PHX On a sunny Thursday afternoon along Tempe Town Lake, with Papago Park rising in the distance and Arizona State University just across the water, the setting felt intentional. Shovels were lined neatly in the earth. A towering excavator held a dancing U.S. flag across its frame. Civic leaders, family members and longtime friends gathered shoulder to...
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Cordia expands cooling empire as Phoenix heat demands new infrastructure

Phoenix Business Journal Cordia, a Phoenix-based energy infrastructure company which quietly underpins much of downtown Phoenix’s cooling infrastructure, is expanding its footprint through a new partnership with Arizona State University. The partnership will supply renewable district cooling to ASU’s new Health Headquarters in the Phoenix Bioscience Core. The project, known internally...
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Raytheon completes test of missile that could replace Army’s Stinger

Phoenix Business Journal Raytheon’s new short-range interceptor being built in Arizona completes a successful test.Raytheon Raytheon’s Tucson-based missile-manufacturing operation says it has completed another successful test of the missile that could replace the U.S. Army’s much-used Stinger surface-to-air weapon. The missile under development is called the Next Generation Short Range...
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AZTC CEO Update: Arizona Technology Council 2026 State Legislative Session Update

        The 2026 Arizona legislative session is underway against a backdrop of heightened fiscal pressure, workforce demand and renewed debate over the state’s long-term competitiveness. Governor Katie Hobbs’ State of the State address underscored affordability, workforce readiness, water security and economic growth as defining session themes, many of which...
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Benchmark Electronics beats Wall Street revenue predictions

Phoenix Business Journal Benchmark Electronics reported an increase in year-over-year revenue during the fourth quarter as the Tempe-based advanced electronics manufacturer saw an uptick in customer bookings. After the markets closed on Feb. 3, Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE) reported $704 million during the fourth quarter, up 7.1% from $657 million in the prior year quarter, according to...
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The University of Arizona Formalizes Agreement with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) to Redefine Workforce Development

University of Arizona News Arizona’s rise as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing is reshaping the state’s economy. Rapid technology and infrastructure development – supported by multibillion-dollar investments from corporations including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company – are driving the growth of an innovation ecosystem critical for the state’s fu...
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Neighbors express concern over proposed new West Valley data center project

ABC 15 A small sign sits right next to the mailbox at Beth Mortensen’s house in the West Valley. It reads “Stop Baccara” in bold black letters at the top. “So the project site is 2,000 feet away, it’s just at the end of my road, on the other end of the orchard there,” Mortensen said. The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboa...
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