February 2019 Member News

Viasat technology behind advances in telemedicine, better en route care

Telemedicine — providing of healthcare over distances — is augmented today by satellite technology and was born during the original space race. Before it could put a man on the moon, NASA had to figure out how to keep astronauts healthy and safe. Those early health monitoring systems were the springboard for today’s booming telemedicine industry. Viasat’s satellite technology is helping first responders stay in close touch with doctors while en route to the hospital.

Currently, the work is primarily focused on Viasat’s U.S. Department of Defense customers, but has much broader potential future applications – including use on air ambulances. For those craft operating beyond the reach of cellular reception, a satellite connection is a crucial — and potentially lifesaving — link. READ MORE.

Workforce Summit: March 13

Join the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation for a high-impact Workforce Summit on March 13. Dynamic presentations from industry experts and interactive breakout sessions will help employers and HR professionals learn best practices to strengthen talent attraction and retention strategies. REGISTER before February 13 to secure early bird pricing!

Grant to ASU, PADT for Advancement of 3D Printing Post-Processing Techniques

PADT, a globally recognized provider of numerical simulation, product development, and 3D printing products and services, has announced it has joined ASU in a Directed Project Opportunity to advance post-processing techniques used in additive manufacturing (AM). The project is being funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division and driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM).

The goal of this research is to yield essential gains in process control, certified processes, and the qualification of materials and parts to drive post-processing costs down and make 3D printing more accessible. PADT will be responsible for providing geometry scanning capabilities, as well as technical expertise. READ MORE.

Connecting Global Aerospace Industry Conference: Feb. 25-26

SkySong | 1475 N Scottsdale Rd | Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Join Americas Aerospace Cluster for a discovery of next-generation aerospace ideas and realities on the ground, in the air and space. The Connecting Global Aerospace Industry Conference focuses on market trends, global business strategies for the Arizona Aerospace community, and a great line up of keynote speakers and industry leaders.

Guest speakers include:

• Grant Anderson, Paragon
• Arulfo Martinez Garcia, Mexico Aerospace Cluster
• Stephen Guine, Northrop Grumman
• Mike Harris, Turbo Aero
• Kirby Ikin, National Space Society
• Senator Dr. John Kavanagh
• Jeremy Rodrigues, Boeing
• Brigitte Santaella, Arizona Aerospace and Defense Association
• Scott Smas, Lockheed Martin
• Sandra Watson, Arizona Commerce Authority

For complete event information or to register, VISIT HERE.

Finalists announced for latest Venture Madness pitch contest

Invest Southwest and the Arizona Commerce Authority have announced the 34 finalists selected to pitch for five $10,000 cash prizes at the 2019 Venture Madness conference. The roster of strong applicants who applied reflects in the rise of tech innovation in the Southwest. The one-day conference, which will include keynote speakers First Solar board Chairman Mike Ahearn and Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith, will be Feb. 28 at Events on Jackson in downtown Phoenix. Congrats to the AZTC members who made it to the finals at the Venture Madness Conference:

BrightGuest Technologies develops smart microsites delivered through text messaging and social chat. With no coding required, transform how your audience gets connected and stays engaged to compel action 17X more effectively than with email.

Digitile’s cross-platform file search engine finds files faster. Find any file, regardless of where it’s stored. Digitile’s file search centralizes results of GDrive, Gmail, GSuite, Dropbox, OneDrive, Slack and Trello. Digitile’s AI-powered search engine features a multi-layered search methodology including image recognition, natural language processing, keyword, and tag search allowing a user to find a file quickly even if the file name is unknown.

Homie combines technology, innovative software and expert customer service to make buying or selling a home fast and easy. Automating and streamlining real estate transactions helps buyers and sellers handle much of the transaction online, provides experts when you need them, and keeps fees affordable.

Qwick connects hospitality professionals with food and beverage shifts in real time. Qwick provides an on-demand pool of high-quality, professional contract hospitality workers, banquet servers, and bartenders when you need them.

For more information on the conference, or to buy tickets, VISIT HERE.

Report touts Phoenix as a top tech hiring market in 2019 

Phoenix will continue to be one of the top markets for tech hiring in 2019, according to a new report. Research from staffing services agency Robert Half Technology shows that Phoenix is No. 3 on a list of top markets for tech hiring. Seventy-six percent of Phoenix-area tech leaders reported they plan to hire in 2019, according to the report.

In the Valley, the most in-demand skills are cybersecurity, cloud security, cloud computing, cloud architecture and visualization, according to the report. More than nine in 10 tech leaders (91 percent) in Phoenix said it is challenging to find tech talent in the market. But 99 percent also express confidence in their company’s prospects for growth.

In the past decade, Phoenix has experienced a tech sector boom, with several tech clusters dotted around the Valley including in downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Chandler. READ MORE.

UA leads new smart-vehicle group

The University of Arizona is partnering with state and local government agencies to help Southern Arizona become an industry leader in smart-vehicle and intelligent transportation technologies.

The group, Smart Vehicles and Intelligent Transportation (SVIT), is a so-called “P3” partnership — bringing together government, academia and industry — to promote the region as a hub for the nascent industry.

Partners in SVIT are the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the city of Tucson, Pima Association of Governments, Pima Community College, Pima County, Musselman Honda Circuit, Tech Parks Arizona, the UA Office of Federal Relations and the UA Transportation Research Institute. READ MORE.

Waymo launches self-driving taxi service in Valley

Pricing will be based on distance and time of each trip, along with other factors. Riders will see price estimates before they accept a trip. During the ride, passengers will see key details of their trip on an in-car console and screen, as well as on the app. Riders also can connect to a support agent for any questions, according to Waymo.

Google started the project almost 10 years ago to explore how best to use self-driving technology to make roads safer and easier to navigate. Waymo’s vehicles have self-driven 10 million miles on public roads, with 7 billion miles driven in simulation technology to make roads safer and easier to navigate, said CEO John Krafcik.

Eventually, Waymo One will expand to more people as additional vehicles are added and Waymo drives in more areas of the Valley. READ MORE.

Airobotics expands C-suite to accommodate growth

Leading automated drone startup Airobotics announced the hiring of William Atkins as Chief Financial Officer and Rick Baker as Chief Revenue Officer, both based at the company’s new global headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. These key appointments further extend Airobotics’ commitment as the end-to-end, fully automatic solution to collect, process and analyze aerial data on a single platform.

Atkins will be responsible for leading global financial operations and strategic planning. He brings with him over two decades of success across markets including technology, media, telecommunications and finance.

Baker will drive new revenue opportunities created by digital products and services. He will additionally engage with clients to help them achieve their digitization strategies by aligning the Airobotics Unified Data Platform—hardware, software and analytics—to deliver the best possible customer experience. READ MORE.