Member News May 2026 Archives - Arizona Technology Council

Get UnLooped Guest Blog: Tucson’s Talent Shortage Is Exposing a Deeper Problem

By Mick Pennington Ask leaders in Tucson’s aerospace, defense, optics, and precision manufacturing sectors what’s standing between them and growth, and you’ll hear the same answer. Not enough skilled people. They’re right. A machinist, optical technician, quality lead, or manufacturing engineer can’t be replaced with a job posting and three weeks of onboarding. The...

Arizona to lead Southwest regional hub for chip industry workforce consortium

Lawrence Semiconductor process specialist Aaron Rooks at their Tempe company’s facility. Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal Phoenix Business Journal The Arizona Commerce Authority will lead a new regional consortium for microelectronics education and workforce development. The SEMI Foundation on Tuesday announced the launch of NNME Southwest, which serves Arizona, Southern Califo...

UA partners with defense group to tackle rising security threats

Arizona Republic The University of Arizona is partnering with a missile defense advocacy organization to help address some of the United States’ most pressing national security needs. As technology and threats against the U.S. continue to advance and adapt, the U.S. needs to be able to develop solutions faster, said David Hahn, the dean of the College of Engineering at the university. “The ...

Aurora Announces First Quarter 2026 Results

Aurora News Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) today announced its first quarter 2026 results. Aurora’s shareholder letter and financial results are available on its investor relations website at ir.aurora.tech. “We are hitting a new gear – we are on the cusp of launching a new platform and are on track to put hundreds of driverless trucks on the road this year,” said Chris...

SRP Announces 3,000 MW Solar Agreement with NextEra Energy Resources

Salt River Project Salt River Project (SRP) today announced an agreement with NextEra Energy Resources to develop 3,000 megawatts (MW) of new solar generation by the end of 2034, or enough capacity to power 595,000 Arizona homes. The solar development agreement will support SRP’s plan to more than double the capacity of its power system by 2035 while maintaining reliability and affordabi...

Apple in talks to add Intel as US chip supplier, reports say

An overview of Intel’s Chandler campus. Intel Corp. Phoenix Business Journal Update: Intel shares reached yet another all-time high on Friday, fueled by another report, this time from the Wall Street Journal, that Apple and Intel had reached a preliminary deal for the iPhone maker to source processor chips from Intel’s U.S. factories, including in Arizona. On Friday, Intel shar...

U of A innovation drives $459.7M in annual economic impact for Arizona

Image: University of Arizona University of Arizona A new independent economic impact analysis finds that Tech Launch Arizona, the University of Arizona’s office for commercialization and innovation, generated $459.7 million in economic output and supported 3,070 jobs statewide in fiscal year 2025, underscoring the university’s growing role as an engine of Ari...

IRLabs Donation Brings Advanced Semiconductor Failure Detection to UA Cleanroom

IRLabs IRLabs Donation Brings Advanced Semiconductor Failure Detection to University of Arizona Cleanroom System enables detection of ultra-low signal defects in modern chips and supports workforce training TUCSON, Ariz. — IRLabs, a developer of advanced infrared detection and semiconductor failure analysis technologies, has donated a high-performance infrared emission microscope sy...

Building a sustainable future for Casa Grande

A capstone team poses with their clients after presenting their project to the city of Casa Grande. From left to right: City Council member Matt Herman, Sawyer Routt, Tracy Alt, Annika Rynders-Kamstra, Mayor Lisa Navarro Fitzgibbons, Jenny Marquez, Deputy City Manager Steven Weaver, and Planning Director Dan Coxworth. Courtesy photo ASU Arizona State University Nestled between Phoenix and ...

Comcast Business Guest Blog: The role of IoT in powering retail insights and experiences

Comcast Business Harnessing IoT data for insights An IoT ecosystem comprises various devices collaborating to create a data-rich environment. These sensors, communicating via WiFi, LoRaWAN, RFID and other wireless technologies, are pivotal in capturing and analyzing data streams. For some time now, forward thinking retailers have used smart cameras and beacons to track customer behavio...

Driving the Future: Toyota and GateWay Invest in Tomorrow’s EV Technicians

Automotive Faculty and Industrial Technology Chair Cody Metcalf tests the new Toyota bZ Woodland. Image: GateWay Community College GateWay Community College When the future of the automotive industry rolls onto campus, it’s hard not to take notice. In early May 2026, GateWay Community College welcomed Toyota dealers and sales professionals from across Arizona for an exclusive product la...

Former Intel exec: The responsibility for AI ethics sits with all of us

Phoenix Business Journal AI is everywhere right now: How do you use it in your work? Which jobs it will change or replace? Where to invest? What training to take? Endless examples and endless opinions. Like many in my generation, I’ve lived through multiple major technology shifts and watched how they reshaped both our personal and professional lives. When I think about AI and its proje...

Comcast Business Guest Blog: Rethinking enterprise security in the age of AI

Comcast Business The 2025 Comcast Business Cybersecurity Threat Report reveals another layer to the story: how security teams are managing the evolving cyber risk stemming from their own enterprise AI adoption. As AI usage soars in the workplace—both company sanctioned and through shadow IT—it is changing the foundation of modern cybersecurity. Based on the analysis of 34.6 billion cyber...

Amazon Web Services locks down massive Buckeye warehouse

Farming activity next to an industrial development in Buckeye, AZ. Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal Phoenix Business Journal Amazon recently signed a 1.2 million-square-foot industrial lease in Buckeye. It was the largest lease in the Valley in the first quarter, according to a report from Colliers, which named Amazon Web Services – the company’s cloud-based computing platform –...