Member News March 2026 Archives - Arizona Technology Council

Impact Sales Advisors Guest Blog: Is Your Sales Performance Down? The Culprit? Your Sales System.

By Mark Sutter, Founder of Impact Sales Advisors If your revenue has felt heavier the past two years, you’re not alone. Here’s the reality many sales teams have experienced in recent years: Quota attainment is down across many sales organizations over the past two years. • Sales productivity has declined amid longer sales cycles and lower conversion rates. • B2B buyers p...

Arizona Chamber Launches AI Initiative Focused on Policy and Innovation

inBusinessPHX The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry announced the launch of the AZ AI Leadership Initiative, a coalition of industry experts, business leaders, and policymakers working to strengthen Arizona’s leadership in next-generation technology, digital infrastructure, and workforce development. The initiative will focus on advancing smart technology policy, bolster...

ACA Program Drives AI Startup’s U.S. Market Entry

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusinessPHX TUBR, a Sheffield-based artificial intelligence and predictive analytics startup, is launching commercial trials of its TUBR Pulse analytics platform in Phoenix, Arizona, following participation in a trade program facilitated by the Arizona Commerce Authority. The expansion marks TUBR’s first entry into the United States market and represents a ...

GateWay Community College’s Danny Fisher Selected for Prestigious National CTE Leadership Fellowship

Dean of Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, and Trades Named to 2026 NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leaders Fellowship Cohort PHOENIX, Ariz. — GateWay Community College is proud to announce that Danny Fisher, Dean of Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, and Trades, has been selected as a Fellow in the 2026 NextLevel Postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship, ...

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...

Salt River Project inks deal with Invenergy for 200-megawatt solar plant in Pinal County

Image: The Yuma Solar Energy Center built by Chicago power development company Invenergy LLC. Invenergy Phoenix Business Journal Arizona nonprofit utility company Salt River Project says it has entered an agreement with power infrastructure development company Invenergy LLC to build a new solar and battery storage project. Called SunDog Energy Center and located in Pinal County south ...

$75M Carbon-Free Cooling Plant Breaks Ground in Phoenix Bioscience Core

Image: inBusiness PHX inBusinessPHX Cordia celebrated the groundbreaking of Energy Center Phoenix Plant 4, a new state-of-the-art, carbon-free chilled water facility located in the heart of Phoenix’s Biomedical Core. The ceremony, held on March 18, 2026 at 709 N. 6th Street, was attended by key partners including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Phoenix Bioscienc...

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...

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...

Employee Spotlight – Cepand Alizadeh

Image: Linkedin Inside the Council with Cepand Cepand Alizadeh is a licensed attorney who joined the Arizona Technology Council in 2025 as the association’s government relations specialist. A Washington, D.C.-area native and first-generation college student, Cepand attended the University of Virginia where he majored in Foreign Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies and Georgetown U...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Apple to buy more than 100 million chips from TSMC’s Arizona fab by year’s end

Apple Inc. plans to buy more than 100 million computer chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s fab site in Arizona by the end of the year, the California-based company announced Tuesday. Image: TSMC Phoenix Business Journal Apple Inc. plans to buy more than 100 million computer chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s fab site in Arizona by the end of t...

Phantom Space acquires rival’s tech to accelerate Arizona rocket development

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 Corp. plans to accelerate development of its rocket launch vehicle after acquiring assets and intellectual property from Vector Launch Inc., a former Tucson-based start...

Autonomous Trucking to Put $9 Billion Back in U.S. Consumers’ Pockets Annually by 2035

Aurora is committing $1 million to its Aurora Works initiative to establish educational partnerships and technical training programs for the autonomous trucking industry. (Credit: Aurora) Aurora News Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) today highlighted findings from a new report revealing that autonomous freight is already a multi-billion dollar bolster for the $1 trillion dollar U....

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...

Real estate mogul Mike Ingram tapped to lead GCU honors college expansion

This rendering shows an interior view of the newly proposed Sheila and Mike Ingram Honors College on the Grand Canyon University campus in Phoenix. Image: GCU Phoenix Business Journal Grand Canyon University has selected a top Valley real estate developer to bear the name of its expanding honors college. To be named the Sheila and Mike Ingram Honors College, the honors college wil...

Axon stock surges after revealing AI products and strong revenue growth

Phoenix Business Journal Axon Enterprise Inc.’s stock price skyrocketed Wednesday after the company revealed strong revenue growth and a flurry of AI powered products. The Scottsdale-based company behind Tasers, body-worn cameras and other technologies for law enforcement and the military saw its shares spike 25% Wednesday, following the release of its fourth quarter earn...

Cybersecurity Readiness Advisors Guest Blog: Navigating the Ripple Effects: How “Operation Fury” and Geopolitical Tensions Are Reshaping Cyber Insurance in 2026

Cybersecurity Readiness Advisors By Dara Gibson, CEO Cybersecurity Readiness Advisors The digital landscape has always reflected global events, but the recent operational shift has sent shockwaves far beyond the intended targets. For risk managers, C-suites, and cybersecurity professionals, “Operation Fury”, the major joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iranian infrast...

FPT Guest Blog: Generative AI Production Scaling: Secure RAG for Arizona Enterprise

FPT Generative AI Production Scaling: Moving from Pilot to Production with Secure RAG The honeymoon phase of Generative AI is over. For the past year, boardrooms across Arizona have been filled with impressive demos and proof-of-concept chatbots. But a sobering reality is setting in: 95% of enterprise GenAI pilots fail to ...

Intero Digital Guest Blog Post: Influencer Marketing for Tech Brands: How to Do It Right

Image: Tech Influencer Marketing, Intero Digital Influencer Marketing for Tech Brands: When It Works, When It Doesn’t, and How to Do It Right Key Takeaways: Influencer marketing for tech works best for launches, awareness, and employer branding. But it doesn’t work for every campaign. B2B influencer marketing is most effective with niche experts who hold real industry credibility. T...

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 ...

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...

ASU: How sensors and smart robots could transform the way Arizona mines critical minerals

Phoenix Business Journal Copper is a key part of the Arizona economy — and Arizonans’ lives. In elementary school, Arizonans learned that copper was one of the original 5 C’s, the cornerstones of the state’s early industry. Historically, Arizona copper has supported the nation’s electrification and supplied national defense efforts during the world wars. Today, this redd...

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...

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...