The Arizona Junior Fellows and the Arizona State University School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership are collaborating with the American Enterprise Institute to host a panel on cybersecurity.

The panel will examine how Arizona has adapted to new cybersecurity threats, how those efforts compare to other states and jurisdictions, and how the public and private sector can work together to prevent cyberattacks and better protect consumer privacy.

National cybersecurity expert Klon Kitchen will join policymakers, business leaders, and university students and faculty for the event. Kitchen is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has previously worked at the National Counterterrorism Center and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Joining Klon is Tim Roemer, the Director of the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. Director Roemer recently led the effort to create the Cyber Command Center, which serves as the state’s headquarters for cybersecurity operations.

The event will be moderated by Eileen Klein, former Treasurer of the State of Arizona and President Emerita of the Arizona Board of Regents; former Fortune 25 healthcare executive.

Data is the new gold

Cybercrime the world a collective $3 trillion in 2015 and is expected to cost $10.5 trillion by 2025. Arizona has been no stranger to the danger presented by cyber-attacks, as estimate that data breaches from 2005 to 2020 cost the state $1.6 billion. In that time frame, Arizona had 181 data breaches, putting over 10 million records at risk. 

Despite these attacks, Arizona is for a community-based and cross-sectoral approach to cybersecurity that emphasizes trust and collaboration between government agencies and private companies. 

This includes the recent establishment of the command center, which will serve as Arizona’s headquarters for coordinating cybersecurity operations. 

As more personal data like banking information and medical records are transferred into the digital world, there is an increased risk of cyber-attacks that undermine public and private enterprise. People, companies, and governments are looking for new solutions to rising cybercrime as it becomes a more prominent issue.

About the event

The Future of Arizona Democracy: Cybersecurity and the Future will be hosted from 5:00-6:15pm at ASU’s Old Main (400 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281) on Monday, March 21st, 2022.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available .

This event is a part of the series, “,” which is produced by the Arizona Junior Fellows in partnership with the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. The Arizona Junior Fellows are a project of the Arizona Chamber Foundation and conduct research in a variety of fields in order to communicate important issues to policymakers and business leaders.

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Amazon recently announced plans to open a new technology center in Tempe near Arizona State University’s main campus, which is projected to create an additional 550 jobs in the Phoenix metro area over the next few years. 

Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said the new Amazon location “highly skilled and growing workforce as well as our premier attractiveness for technology and innovation.” 

Amazon is currently Arizona’s The new roles in the Tempe technology center will support Amazon’s operations in consumer retail, web services and operations. These opportunities are open for software development engineers, senior solution architects, project managers and business analysts. 

“Not only do Phoenix and Tempe have an incredible existing talent pipeline, but this is a place where people want to move to as well,” Doug Welzel, site lead for Amazon’s Phoenix Tech Hub. “We’ve already created more than 5.000 corporate and tech jobs in the Phoenix area, and we are excited to continue investing here.” 

Arizona State University’s close proximity to the expansion center is no doubt a draw for the company. ASU is one of the largest universities in the U.S. and produces thousands of graduates every year that are looking to join the workforce. 

Amazon officials have announced that the Tempe Tech Hub is going to be using two special hiring programs. Amazon Returnship is a program that focuses on helping professionals get back to work after they lost or left their jobs. The 16-week program is a paid opportunity available to people who have been without a job or underemployed for at least a year. At the end of the program, participants have the possibility of moving into a full-time position. 

The other special hiring program being used is Best Fit, which allows engineers to apply once and be considered for thousands of jobs throughout the company. 

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods believes that the investment “will continue to help Tempe attract more businesses and tech talent to our city.”

Amazon signed for a 63,000-square-foot expansion at 100 S. Mill Avenue, positioned slightly west of the ASU main campus. The office expansion is projected to be open for employees in late 2022. 

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Former National Security Advisor and U.S. Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster addressed Arizona State University students on October 7 as part of the put on by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL). 

McMaster, who served in uniform for more than three decades and in public service longer yet, commanded the attention of students, faculty, community leaders, ROTC cadets, and military officers.

McMaster a wide array of topics and issues over the course of the evening, but stressed the need to demand competence from the political class while also guarding against hubris. 

“We can tell our leaders to stop pretending, and demand competence,” McMaster said. “We need not wait for the political class to restore our confidence in our common identity as Americans.”

Charting a course for the future, McMaster encouraged the audience to “resolve to live well, cherish the freedoms so many fought to preserve, and to realize the motto that appears on the seal of the Republic: E Pluribus Unum.”

McMaster thanked SCETL for its dedication to civil discourse and the promotion of a classical education, and ASU more broadly for its commitment to entrepreneurship and accessibility. He said that civic education is a precondition for good citizenship.

American withdrawal from Afghanistan and competition with China

“Strategic narcissism led to self-delusion” in Afghanistan, McMaster said, a critic of the United States’ withdrawal from the nation. “And self delusion provided a rationale for self defeat. The catastrophe we are seeing in Afghanistan is the result of…incompetence.”

As National Security Advisor, McMaster repeatedly persuaded then-President Trump against withdrawal from Afghanistan.

McMaster sees American withdrawal, which he characterizes as defeat, as a concession in the larger confrontation with China, rather than an opportunity to recalibrate American strategy. 

As NSA, he co-wrote a memo titled “Strategic Framework For The Indo-Pacific,” which is credited with shifting American strategy more fully towards the Indo-Pacific region. Notably, it foresaw the increasing importance of “The Quad,” an alliance between the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India.

Education as a path to opportunity

During McMaster’s address and the discussion he had afterwards with the director of SCETL, Dr. Paul Carrese, he championed education as a means to achieving the American Dream.

McMaster said that the zipcode of one’s birth should not determine their destiny, and that school choice should be prioritized by politicians seeking equal opportunity. 

He criticized those who ascribe to the “New Left” narrative of history, where America is typically portrayed as a malevolent force, as having too low an opinion of the American founding and the nation’s revolutionary vision.

“What is great about our country is that we do have an opportunity to build a better future for generations to come.”

SCETL on October 28 will Brookings Institution fellow and Atlantic contributor Jonathan Rauch for a speech entitled, “Rescuing Reality: Can Americans Have Shared Facts Again?”

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Arizona’s three public universities made a promise to citizens a year ago to raise the state’s competitive standing and per capita income through an ambitious initiative called the “New Economy Initiative: Enhancing Arizona’s Competitiveness.”

Though Arizona has seen incredible population growth and industry growth in certain sectors, the state lags behind the nation when it comes to personal income and discretionary spending, said Michael Crow, president of the state’s largest university, Arizona State University (ASU).

“Arizona is seeing economic growth, does have a stable economy, is attracting a lot of things to the state,” Crow said during Morning Scoop with the Arizona Capitol Times last week. “But on a per capita basis we’re creating mostly low wage jobs and they are difficult to build economic wealth around.” 

ASU sponsored the virtual event to speak with the business community audience about the technology-centered initiative and what’s ahead. The three main objectives are to: 

• Create a skilled workforce that stays in Arizona
• Attract major research funding to bring new industry here
• Close achievement gaps to better prepare Arizona students for higher skilled, technology-based jobs 

Arizona lags behind states like Texas, Colorado, Utah and Washington

The ultimate goal is to position Arizona alongside western states like Texas, Colorado, Utah and Washington that have made vast investments in the new technology-based economy. 

In turn, they have benefited “thousandfold,” Crow said. They are all outperforming Arizona and the nation in per capita income and GDP. 

Colorado, for instance, has a 25 percent higher per capita income. That generates more revenue for the state to invest in things like low-income communities and public infrastructure. 

Texas, which does not have a state income tax, has invested billions of dollars in education, research and infrastructure to . Today, it is one of the most competitive states in the U.S, Crow said. It’s $1.6 trillion economy is roughly the same size as the economy of Russia. 

Expanding ASU engineering school into leading talent powerhouse 

Crow detailed some of the efforts ASU is engaging in to achieve the initiative’s goal to create workforce pipelines for fast growing sectors like advanced manufacturing, information technology, health care, business services, and energy that are education-intensive and demand both knowledge-based and applied skills.

To that end, ASU is embarking on a major expansion of its nationally renowned . The expansion includes the construction of five Science and Technology Centers (STC) that will bring together faculty and industry leaders to identify specific workforce needs, develop training programs and create long-term partnerships. They will also be research hubs for industry to work with faculty and students to grow ideas from bench to market.

“We’re already seeing companies coming, staying, being built here and born here,” Crow said. “What we want to do is accelerate that around these specific areas with a focus on engineering.” 

Each will focus on a different industry:

Energy and Materials STC will be a national research resource for advancing new energy materials and device technologies to market, growing industry engagement and workforce training.

Human Performance STC will capitalize on regional strength and technology opportunities to enhance physical and cognitive performance, medical prevention and intervention and drive research from discovery to marketplace.

Extreme Environments STC will focus on management and technology opportunities associated with growing population centers; research outcomes to engineer resiliency into the energy, water, materials and transportation systems in the built environment of future cities and regions.

Advanced Manufacturing STC for the development of new technologies aimed at transforming manufacturing through 3D printing, robotics and automation, and new materials with strong links to private industry support in aerospace, defense and space systems.

Future Communication Technologies STC will drive ASU and the region to the forefront of physical information systems as the “internet of things” continues to develop, and as users increasingly desire greater access, information, reliability, and communications diversity. 

These centers will add to Arizona’s existing two applied research centers focused on industry-led research — one for WearTech, the other for Blockchain. 

This expansion will position Phoenix and Arizona as one of the leading global engineering centers in the world, Crow said.

Universities requesting $165 million with emphasis on workforce development 

The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), is asking the state Legislature to commit $165 million for the initiative. About $65 million would be for hiring and training more teachers, increasing student enrollment, expanding programs and degrees in different regions, and attracting more research funding. 

The bulk of the money — $100 million — would be for workforce development. Of that, $46 million would be “seed money” for the of the Ira A. Fulton engineering schools. Private investment would pay for the rest. 

The addition of the five new Science and Technology Centers are projected to attract more than 250 new industrial partners and empower global projection capabilities to drive engineering linkages around the world.

“It’s a catalyst investment. It’s a small investment in the overall scheme of things,” said Crow, who’s entrepreneurial approach brought in $671 million in research dollars to the university in 2019.  

The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University will similarly leverage the New Economy initiative to expand and enhance areas of expertise at those schools to produce graduates in areas of high demand. NAU will place special focus on the healthcare field and bolstering the state’s talent pipeline, while UArizona will focus on space and defense, health sciences and mining.

Widespread support from business, economic development groups 

There is widespread support for the initiative from economic development and business groups including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and the East Valley Partnership as well as Governor Doug Ducey and other state leaders.

Arizona Chamber President and CEO Glenn Hamer praised the universities for their futuristic vision in creating a sound business plan for the state.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in today’s world. What is certain is that if we get The New Economy Initiative funded, Arizona’s GDP will increase considerably over what would be the case if this initiative did not exist,” Hamer said. “We know education attainment is directly tied to a state’s economic health and we would strongly urge our Legislature to seriously consider this initiative.” 

Read more about the initiative at:

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A new study highlights the tremendous impact groundwater has on Arizona’s economy and underscores the need to make sure every community has tools to protect and manage it far into the future, said Todd Reeve, director of Business for Water Stewardship (BWS), which commissioned the report. 

“Today, Arizona relies on groundwater for 40 percent of its water supply, and sustained access to groundwater remains essential for industrial, agricultural and municipal uses in Arizona,” said Reeve, whose organization currently is working with dozens of businesses across the state that are investing in and advancing solutions to make sure communities, economies and ecosystems have clean water to flourish. 

BWS released the first-of-its-kind study Tuesday during a virtual event for new and returning state lawmakers who will be tasked with finding solutions to address groundwater overuse and the effects of the megadrought. The Arizona Chamber Foundation co-hosted the event.  

Groundwater generated $1.2 trillion into economy from 2010 to 2018

Conducted by Arizona State University’s (ASU) Seidman Research Institute, the study calculated the economic impact of groundwater use from 2010 to 2018 in the state’s five most populous regions: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Pinal County and Santa Cruz County.  

According to the study, Arizona’s groundwater use was responsible for generating about $1.2 trillion into the economy during the nine-year period. When broken down on an annual basis, that amounts to approximately 43 percent of the state’s annual average GDP. 

In Phoenix alone, groundwater generated $102.5 billion of average annual contribution to state GDP, supporting over one million jobs, the study states.

“These findings show just how essential groundwater is to the state’s economy,” said Tim James, director of research at the Seidman Institute. “As our state continues to grow and thrive, understanding the crucial importance of groundwater to the economy will be key in planning for the future.”

Study evaluated groundwater impact in most populous regions 

The study looked at the economic impact of groundwater deliveries from 2010 to 2018 in the five most populated regions of the state that are designated as “Active Management Areas” (AMA) for water management purposes. The AMAs are regulated under the state’s Groundwater Management Act of 1980.    

Among the study findings:

-Approximately 11.7 million acre feet of groundwater was used by agriculture, industrial and municipal customers during the nine-year period  

-Groundwater supplies in the five AMAs contributed to annual employment of 1.4 to 1.7 million jobs, depending on the year

-More than half of the total groundwater uses, 50.1 percent, took place in the Phoenix AMA

-More than a third of the groundwater, 35.5 percent, was used in the Pinal AMA

-The Tucson AMA accounted for 11.7 percent of total groundwater used 

Legislation needed to guide groundwater use statewide 

While the five AMAs are regulated under the groundwater act to ensure adequate water for the future, the rest of the state is pretty much a “free for all” when it comes to tapping into aquifers, Reeve said. 

Legislation will be needed to protect groundwater in these areas as well, he said. Some of the bills that have been proposed include incentives for industry, farmers, landowners and others to conserve water. 

Most importantly, the rural areas of the state that rely almost entirely on groundwater will need tools to carry out conservation and water protection plans based on their local needs, he said. 

Businesses are key players in protecting water

Businesses also will need to continue to invest in Arizona projects as part of the solution, Reeve said. 

Major corporations like Intel Corp, Waste Management, Microsoft, Cox, Arizona Public Service, the Coca-Cola Foundation, Procter & Gamble, Reformation, Silk, and Swire Coca-Cola, USA have invested millions of dollars in recent years on conservation projects to protect communities, businesses and wildlife habitats.

That was something that was unheard of not so long ago, said Reeve, whose organization is currently working with dozens of companies on projects across Arizona.  

“Ten or 20 years ago, the notion of companies investing their brand and their financial resources in projects outside of their own operations would have been unheard of,” Reeve said. “And today we’re seeing this growing commitment, especially across Arizona, in leveraging this business interest to help shore up Arizona’s water resources and create an environment where these businesses have predictable water supply and they can follow through on plans to expand, to hire and to site here in Arizona.”

Five Active Management Area results

The Seidman study analyzed the economic impact of groundwater in the five AMAs:

To read the full report, go to: . 

Business for Water Stewardship

 Business for Water Stewardship is a program of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation that helps businesses advance solutions to ensure that our communities, economies and ecosystems have enough clean water to flourish. We provide ways for businesses to actively help sustain rivers and replenish aquifers, promote forward-looking water policies, and boost their reputations as environmental stewards.

Learn more at: B

The L. William Seidman Research Institute

The L. William Seidman Research Institute serves as a link between the local, national, and international business communities and the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU. First established in 1985 to serve as a center for applied business research and a consultancy resource for the Arizona business community, Seidman collects, analyzes and disseminates information about local economies, benchmarks industry practices, and identifies emerging business research issues that affect productivity and competitiveness.
To read more about the work the institute is doing, go to:

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From open spaces to open minds, Arizona has the “highest potential” of any state in the nation to successfully move into the new economy, said Arizona State University (ASU) president and innovation trailblazer Michael Crow. The university’s “enterprise” model will help lead the way.

“The potential index for Arizona is off the charts. Off the charts. You can still build here and build well. You can design communities here. You can do new things here, and ASU is really representative of that,” said Crow, who spoke last week at a virtual breakfast meeting of the nonprofit , the voice of the real estate in the Phoenix metro region. “We have all the pieces. We have all the components. We still have small government. We still have a willingness to accept new ideas.” 

About 150 real estate professionals and business and community leaders attended the event to hear Crow speak. He talked about what is needed to take Arizona’s economy to the next level, ASU’s response to COVID-19, and the school’s transformation into a leading global institution that has amassed vast real estate holdings and leases to attract tenants, corporate partners and startups.

Today, the university relies little on public funding, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars each year from corporations, donors and organizations, and tuition from students worldwide.

ASU now exceeds top research institutions 

Since becoming president in 2002, Crow’s vision and hard driving personality have positioned ASU as one of the top research universities in the country. 

The university has been named the most innovative university in America by U.S. News and World Report every year since the category was created six years ago.

ASU now rivals and exceeds institutions like Cambridge, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, UCLA and USC for research in both medical and non-medical innovation, Crow said. 

COVID-19 leader in testing, research 

ASU took a leading role when news surfaced in December that a new virus had surfaced in China. 

Since then, more than 200 COVID-19-related research groups have been created at ASU. Among its successes is one of the fastest saliva-based PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests for COVID.

In April, an ASU research team expects to complete a new microchip fluidity device that will allow anyone to spit into a microchip containing an internal “laboratory” that can produce a quick result and send an alert to an individual’s phone. 

As the world rushes to create a vaccine for the coronavirus, ASU will continue to develop new tools to protect lives in the coming years and build profit-making enterprises around it, he said.

Building recovery in fiercely competitive world 

Moving forward, Arizona’s number one challenge will be how to build an economy that grows faster than population growth. With per capita growth on the decline in recent years, this will be critical to its global standing, Crow said.

“Arizona’s new economy is going to require us to leapfrog into an understanding that the world has become ever more competitive,” he said. “In Singapore, in Korea, in Europe, in Indonesia, in China and other places, are rising competitors, and significant competitors, on every possible level.”

If Arizona and the nation do not stay in front of the pack, they will be overwhelmed by the scale of all the other competitors, he said.

“So the only way to be successful is to always be in the lead, to always be in front, to always be the most innovative, always to be the most creative.” 

Knowledge-driven enterprises will lead the way    

Knowledge-driven enterprises with more technological underpinnings are necessary to push the economy higher here, Crow said.

Towards that end, ASU has been undergoing massive of its research, teaching and real estate operations to advance industry and high paying jobs, create tens of thousands of jobs over the next two decades, and to attract new students from around the globe.   

Expansion of 10 innovation corridors in Phoenix metro

Among its many projects, the university is expanding its global presence including building a new headquarters in Los Angeles and satellite campuses across the world to attract new investment and students. 

In Arizona, the university is building and expanding a host of facilities and projects including in its 10 “innovation corridors” including:

Health Futures Center ASU and Mayo Clinic are building a 150,000-square-foot building next to Mayo Clinic in North Phoenix that will feature a MedTech Accelerator, biomedical engineering and informatics research labs, nursing programs and an innovative education zone. Through the project, Phoenix expects to see $3.5 billion in capital investment over the next two years, an additional 4.4 million square feet of advanced facilities, creating more than 7,000 jobs. 

Entrepreneurship Residence Center This will be the first new residential space on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus since 2008. It will house more than 1,200 students including 500 student entrepreneurs who will be launching their own companies. It is set to open next year. 

Mesa City Center Also under construction, this state-of-the-art project will jump-start the revitalization of downtown Mesa and train students in one of the biggest industries in the U.S.:  media production. Set to open in spring 2022, it will offer programs in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts in digital and sensory technology, experiential design, gaming, media arts, film production, and entrepreneurial development and support.

Polytechnic Research Park This facility near Phoenix-Gateway Airport and ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa will specialize in hands-on exploration of solutions in aviation, alternate energy, human-technology integration, comprehensive commercial printing and design services, and on-demand digital manufacturing.

Phoenix Biomedical Campus A new biomedical campus is underway that is part of a development in downtown Phoenix that is owned by a public-private partnership that includes Phoenix, ASU, Wexford and Ventas. The Wexford Innovation Center is part of the $1.5 billion research and innovation pipeline with Ventas. Ventas is investing $800 million in four university-related developments totaling more than 1.3 million square feet. Upon completion, the campus will include seven buildings totaling more than 6 million square feet of research, academic and clinical facilities.

Novus Innovation Corridor This public/private partnership between the ASU and Catellus Development Corporation is under construction adjacent to the Tempe campus and has been dubbed the nation’s “most progressive,” urban, mixed-use developments for introducing leading-edge technologies into an urban landscape. Built in phases, it will house more than 11 million square feet of offices, residences, hotels, retail stores and restaurants throughout 355 acres.

A successful diverse student population is a must

In addition to research, ASU has not forgotten its mission as a public teaching institution, Crow said. Data backs that up.  

For example, the  engineering class went from 6,000 students with low retention rates their freshman year to 25,000 engineering students with a 90 percent retention rate today. This year, ASU is graduating four times more students than it did in 2002.

While geniuses are essential to any research university, ASU is focused on reaching down into high schools to make sure not only A and B students make it to college but lower performers as well. Recruiting in-state students, particularly Latinos, has been a major effort that has paid off. 

“For the first time in the history of the institution, the student body is completely representative of the population of the state, economically and ethnically,” Crow said. 

Continuing that trend will be key to raising per capita income and building the economy, he said.

“We don’t want to build an economy that’s growing at 1 percent or 2 percent or 3 percent a year. We want an economy that’s growing at 4, 5 and 6 percent every year.” 

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A unique program at Arizona State University (ASU) that partners top students with corporations and government agencies to advance prototypes, product development and other design projects is gaining traction as a talent pipeline for modern industry. 

The program, called Practice Labs, also is helping attract businesses to the state. Not only do companies and agencies get to partner with the brightest students, they have access to ASU’s vast research offerings, laboratories and state-of-the-art as well.

Practice Labs is one example of ASU’s national leadership role in commercializing ideas and sending students into high paying careers, said Jon Relvas, who oversees the program as director of business development, Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, ASU Knowledge Enterprise. 

“The essence of this is to get students applied experience while in school so when they leave, whether it’s an undergraduate or a graduate degree program, they’re leaving ASU with experience in their field of study,” Relvas said. “Companies want to know students have worked on some challenges, and these students are leaving with major accomplishments on their rĂ©sumĂ©s.”

Practice labs solve complex industry challenges

Practice Labs is designed to help businesses and government agencies achieve their “large objectives,” Relvas said.

“This is meant to help industry go after their vision, and how do we help them get there and utilize all the resources across ASU to do it.”   

Test labs from interior design to space technology 

Each Practice Lab is created to solve the specialized need of a corporate sponsor. When a company or government agency becomes a sponsor, Practice Labs coordinates with ASU’s to find the best students for the test lab. 

Corporate sponsors can pick from any number of programs for a Practice Lab, from software design and development, drone technology, data science, and interior design to space technology. Among the most popular are engineering within Ira A. Fulton and design programs within the Herberger Institute for including architectural design, environmental design, prototype development, and product redesign.  

Since Practice Labs was initiated about three years ago, the program is seeing results including one spinout. 

The company CYR3CON, collaborated with ASU to form a Practice Lab tasked with developing  cyberattack identification software. Students helped accelerate development of a system that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and data mining to predict when hackers are planning to strike. CYR3CON recently filed its first patent for the software which will be commercialized as part of the company’s suite of products. 

Phoenix Children’s Hospital, one of the highest ranking and largest pediatric hospitals in the country, also formed a Practice Lab with ASU students to create an app that would replace outdated medical forms. The app is designed to eliminate much of the time doctors must spend filling out electronic records every day.  

Practice Labs available year-round 

Unlike internships, Practice Labs are available to industry year-round. Also, projects are not time-limited. Companies and organizations can work with student and faculty teams from a few months to a few years, Relvas said.

“This opens up opportunities for businesses that have a challenge that they want to solve in January and they don’t want to wait until June or July for summer internships to roll around. They’re also not locked into the semester schedule.” 

ASU focus on entrepreneurship and commercialism pays off 

ASU’s focus on collaboration and research with corporate partners is one reason it has been named the most university five years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. 

Much of the credit goes to ASU President Michael Crow, whose vision has transformed Arizona’s largest university into a powerhouse of entrepreneurship and research. In fiscal 2019, its research expenditures totaled $640 million.  

Today, ASU is considered a magnet for industries like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract manufacturer of silicone chips. The company recently plans to build a $12 billion plant in Phoenix. The project will create over 1,600 new high-tech jobs and generate thousands of additional jobs in the state.

Communications technology company Zoom also recently announced its plans for ain Arizona. It is looking for space near ASU where it is actively recruiting student engineers. For more information about the practice labs, visit: .

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Prominent Valley business and education leaders said that some positive changes have come out of COVID-19 that should help Arizona’s economy recover.  

The state also is better positioned to rebound than other states because of its emphasis on attracting industry and graduating large numbers of highly trained students, they said during a webinar event Wednesday hosted by the PHX East Valley Partnership.

“The good news is that our region has learned a lot since the Great Recession and the events surrounding 9/11,” said Denny Barney, president and CEO of the . “We have diversified our economy, and our value proposition is as strong as ever.”

Among some of the big wins that have bolstered the East Valley since the recession are corporate relocations, the expansion of global companies like Deloitte and Northrop-Grumman, and the groundbreaking of a world-class hub for digital education at ASU’s new campus in downtown Mesa, Barney said. 

Arizona better prepared for future than other states

Understanding the effects of the pandemic and what the future holds was the topic of the event, entitled: “Preparing for the Future Post-COVID-19.” 

Featured speakers were Arizona State University (ASU) President Dr. Michael Crow; Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) President Chris Camacho; and longtime ASU economist and director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W.P. Carey School of Business, Dennis Hoffman.

President Crow talked about the university’s ability to adapt quickly to make a massive shift from an on-campus model to a blended education model. The university also pushed forward research, innovation and humane efforts to combat the pandemic. 

Now, it just enrolled its largest summer session ever with 60,000 students. 

“We have to realize the old economy is gone,” said Crow. He said institutions will have to be highly adaptable to face down the challenge and be on the “front wave” of a new economy. 

“If you want to win economically. If you want to be competitive moving forward, your agility is going to be very important. The agility of your workforce. The ability to be resilient.”

Silver linings and challenges ahead

Camacho of GPEC said the most daunting challenges for the state will be centered around sectors hardest hit like the restaurant and hospitality industries. 

Groups like , chambers of commerce, and cities have worked “intensely” to reach out to small businesses. Their efforts combined with the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are mitigating the damage. 

Other sectors, meanwhile, have remained strong including the industrial sector. Some industries such as advanced manufacturing and financial and professional services will likely see faster recovery times than sectors like air travel. 

Some interesting twists could occur in the office market. Office space could shrink if companies transform into blended work places with more remote workers, or expand if corporations need  more room to allow for social distancing. 

Challenges ahead? The need to continue to invest in infrastructure and education, Camacho said.

Silver linings? The Phoenix region has earned “tier one” brand recognition with Fortune 500 and global corporations, he said. 

Revered corporations like Apple, Microsoft and Tesla are coming here to take advantage of the universities graduating engineers and other students who are ready to meet industry needs.

“That has become the X factor for our ability to compete in this global age of competition for advanced industries,” Camacho said. 

As anti-globalization efforts continue, Arizona is in a good place to attract new industry. Housing prices, modern infrastructure and a skilled labor force will continue to act as a lure.    

Longtime economist predicts 24-month recovery

ASU Hoffman also expects the recovery to be much smoother this time around. 

He credits the state’s pro-business stance combined with universities focused on economic development. 

A decade-long effort to educate and graduate more students is filling local and state coffers as they move into careers. 

One benefit of COVID-19 could be that Arizona will be able to keep more graduates here as remote working becomes the new norm.  

“You can live in the East Valley and work for Silicon Valley,” Hoffman said.

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Rocking the retro NASA “” logo and a SpaceX emblem, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken’s state-of-the-art spacecraft sits on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Flight Center in southern Florida. Passengers and pilots of the Dragon capsule, designed and produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the two astronauts will be the first Americans to launch into orbit (and dock with the International Space Station) from American soil since the termination of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

This marks the first crewed spaceflight to be completed by SpaceX. But, as Musk and NASA will remind you, this is far from the last. This launch will serve as the “lighting of the candle” for a new age of American space dominance, spearheaded by robust public-private partnerships and a renewed public interest in space exploration.

Jim Bridenstine, the current administrator of NASA, that these sorts of endeavors can bring people together. “It’s not going to just unite Republicans and Democrats, it’s going to unite the world.”

Beyond the morale-boosting impact of a reinvigorated space program and launches such as Saturday’s, the new era of American space ascendancy will massively contribute to the U.S. economy. With the promise of incorporating private enterprises such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, and more into this grand undertaking, the positive economic impact will extend far beyond federal subsidy.

Economic impact

Investments in NASA and private ventures related to the space domain stimulate growth and .

As and Congress allocates larger amounts to NASA and the newly founded United States Space Force, the impacts will go a lot further than the multiplier effect. Following President Kennedy’s declaration that “we shall go to the moon,” the United States led the world with unparalleled ingenuity in innovation and technological prowess. Today, despite still being on top of the world, nations such as China are beginning to catch up. Now, we have an opportunity to lift ourselves up once again and accelerate stagnating growth and productivity through forward-looking approaches to the world of tomorrow.

The CEO of Space Angels, a New York investment firm, that private space companies “are graduating and going from concept to scale.” Federal and state leaders have taken notice, and the bureaucracy is reacting beneficially to an insurgent market demand for big ideas and bold approaches.

Evidenced by Saturday’s historic launch, time will tell if our leaders use this as a springboard or let the opportunity pass. For Musk, current NASA leadership, scientists, economists, and foreign policy junkies the world-across, there is no question – Saturday is the day that we “light the candle.”

Arizona’s role

Though not an ideal location for space launches, the Grand Canyon State has a key role to play in shaping the economy of the future. Prior to Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took their first steps on a slightly less foreign surface : Cinder Lake Crater Field right here in Arizona.

Mining companies such as Freeport McMoran provide key minerals and metals needed to build everything from spaceships to launchpads. Aerospace companies like Honeywell, Boeing, and Raytheon have already started to adapt and expand into the final frontier with innovative designs. Every single industry has a place in this new economy, and the pie can only grow larger.

Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration has taken the lead on NASA’s which aims to launch in 2022 from the Kennedy Space Center and send an orbiter to a “unique metal asteroid” which appears to be “the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet.” It will also fly by Mars along the way.

The University of Arizona has found an interest in the final frontier with its Space Observation, Exploration, and Innovation within the Office for Research, Discovery, and Innovation. In 2007, the Phoenix Mars Mission launched with the guidance of UArizona, and more recently they have been working on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) which discovered water on Mars in 2015.

Northern Arizona University is home to a world-renowned Astronomy and Planetary Science department. They study everything from spacecraft missions, to planetary materials, to planetary formation, to astrobiology.

Arizona is at the forefront of innovation. As Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launch into orbit from American soil Saturday, the significance of this moment cannot be lost on us. Our state has an integral role to play in the era of American space ascendancy to come, and it’s on leaders in the public and private sector to lead the charge.

Looking forward

A state founded by cowboys, mavericks, trailblazers, and pioneers; Arizona is uniquely prepared for the next age of exploration. Clear leadership from government and industry will come first, and that will be accomplished through legislators working to pass innovative and friendly regulatory reforms that boost investment in the state and lure private businesses that bring consumers and government contracts along with them.

Furthermore, the Governor and other statewide elected officials must send the message that “Arizona is open for business,” and that it will be for decades to come. Thankfully, Governor Ducey has been a champion of business-friendly policies and pro-growth rhetoric.

The private industry, on the other hand, need not require guidance from politicians or pundits. Evidenced by the wild success of SpaceX and other innovative enterprises, it is abundantly clear that when government works with and not against American ingenuity, we witness extraordinarily positive outcomes.

Industry-specific policies spanning tax reform, licensing reform, subsidies, and more should also be on the table, but these remedies will come naturally as the economy booms and voters take notice.

President Kennedy reminded us all that we set goals, as Americans, “not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Commanding the next era of human space flight is no small task, but it is one that Americans up for.

The late and great Senator John McCain remarked that, “[Americans] never hide from history. We make history.” Beginning this Saturday, we will embark on the mission of a generation: to carve out our legacy among the stars.

You can learn more about Saturday’s historic launch .

Joe Pitts is a government affairs intern for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and a student at Arizona State University.

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Cox Communications recently announced it is partnering with Arizona State University to create the Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory at the university.

The collaboration, announced at the 2019 ASU Smart Region Summit, is expected to drive the development of Arizona’s “smart region” infrastructure.

“Cox currently powers several smart city initiatives and communities today as the preferred data network of residents and business owners,” said Steve Rowley, executive vice president of Cox Business. “Cox Business, combined with Cox2M, will bring new experiential capabilities to the campus and provide a space for all to innovate.”

The partnership will also deliver on ASU’s Smart City Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) promise to build smarter communities in the Valley by providing solutions to community challenges.

According to Cox, the Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory at ASU will serve as an incubation center and convening space that engages ASU students, staff and faculty to design the “next wave of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions” in hopes of solving real challenges within the Greater Phoenix area and beyond.

“Through our Cox2M business line, we will bring ASU students, staff and faculty the tools and capabilities to develop end-to-end solutions that can really make a difference,” said Sujata Gosalia, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Cox Communications. “We are excited to build the future together in this new collaborative environment.”

The Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory will reside in an Innovation Zone at ASU, one of several spaces across the Valley and ASU campuses dedicated to creating innovative solutions. Other Innovation Zones include SkySong, ASU Research Park, the Novus Innovation Corridor and more.

Cox will be deploying a comprehensive wired and wireless network on campus as part of ASU’s NextGen Network to power the Collaboratory.

“Cox is a trusted partner, and we are eager to see the Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory at ASU drive smart region applications that combine people, connected devices, data and processes to improve community operations and the citizen experience,” ASU Chief Information Officer Lev Gonick said.

Earlier this month, ASU announced a  to develop a “Smart Campus” and eventually a “Smart State.” The two will work together to bring 5G connectivity and Sprint’s Curiosity IoT operating system to the university’s campuses.

“The spirit of innovation permeates everything we do here at ASU, and that philosophy extends to the ecosystems and resources we make available to our collaborators,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise and chief research and innovation officer at ASU. “New ideas and solutions to grand challenges are discovered when we partner at this level. Our Innovation Centers and Innovation Zones are prime examples of how these relationships are cultivated, and how the resulting benefits are realized by our communities.”

To learn more about the Cox Connected Environments Collaboratory, .

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