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On Sunday, August 28, 2022, the Arizona Technology Council (AZTC) celebrated its 20th anniversary as Arizona’s premier expertise business affiliation. The Council was based when the Arizona Excessive Tech Business Cluster merged with the Software program and Web Affiliation to create the Council. The Council now has over 700 members and places of work in Phoenix and Tucson and is flourishing alongside the state’s quickly rising expertise business.
“It has been an honor to spend the final 15 years serving Arizona’s unbelievable expertise neighborhood because the president and CEO of a corporation that has offered lasting worth for 20 years and reveals no indicators of slowing down,” mentioned Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Council and SciTech Institute. “Once we first began, our aim was easy: convene expertise leaders to develop a neighborhood that helps one another in creating merchandise that make an actual distinction in individuals’s lives. At present, we’ve developed into one of many largest expertise associations within the nation, and it has coincided with the unbelievable progress of the state’s innovation financial system. I’d like to offer an enormous thanks and congratulations to our members, staff, board members and companions all through Arizona.”
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As Arizona’s premier commerce affiliation for science and expertise firms, the Council has spent the previous 20 years offering the neighborhood with quite a few occasions, instructional boards and enterprise conferences that carry collectively native leaders to advance expertise that may create jobs, stimulate the native and nationwide economies and positively affect all Arizonans. It has welcomed all kinds of expertise leaders as members and board members, together with Bob Smith, Honeywell Aerospace’s first board member on the Council and present CEO of Blue Origin, and Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), a important group for Arizona and a key associate of the Council’s.
As well as, the Council’s SciTech Institute (previously the Arizona Know-how Council Basis) was based shortly after the Council on Could 17, 2004, with the aim of connecting the STEM neighborhood and galvanizing people to pursue STEM-related profession paths and get engaged in STEM occasions. For years, SciTech Institute has been profitable in utilizing its platform to encourage Arizonans of all ages to get entangled with the STEM neighborhood and pursue STEM-related profession paths. It does this by internet hosting all kinds of occasions and academic boards, together with the annual AZ SciTech Pageant, which options lots of of occasions throughout 80 Arizona cities alongside greater than 900 companions within the science and expertise ecosystem.
“I wish to congratulate Steve and the Arizona Know-how Council on 20 years of success,” mentioned Watson. “ACA has been a long-time associate of the Council on applications like SciTech Institute, which will increase STEM consciousness and outreach. We sit up for seeing the continued affect of the Council’s work and rising our expertise ecosystem whereas strengthening Arizona’s repute as a premier expertise vacation spot.”
Over time, the Council has demonstrated its dedication to Arizona’s expertise neighborhood by working with different neighborhood companions to be an advocate for pro-technology laws and lobbying on the state and federal ranges on behalf of its members. The Council’s public coverage successes have included:
• Serving to restore the Profession and Technical Schooling (CTE) funding
• Serving to create and keep the Arizona R&D Tax Credit score by 2030
• Serving to create and prolong the Arizona Angel Investor Tax Credit score till 2031
• Serving to pave the best way for Affiliation Well being Plans in Arizona
• Contributing to the creation of the Arizona FinTech Sandbox
• Supporting will increase in its Okay-12 and post-secondary training investments
• And way more
By way of its work, the Council has helped solidify Arizona’s place as a high touchdown spot for startups and main companies alike. In recent times, a number of startups have been based regionally and quite a lot of cutting-edge expertise firms have relocated to Arizona, together with TSMC, Waymo, Nikola, Lucid Motors, Benchmark, CampusLogic, Carvana and plenty of extra. There are additionally a number of longtime expertise giants that proceed to take a position and develop in Arizona, together with Intel, Avnet, Raytheon and Honeywell Aerospace.
“The Council is a staple of our expertise ecosystem and a very good useful resource to organizations each new and established,” mentioned Phil Gallagher, CEO of Avnet. “The group’s work has been important to creating this neighborhood and establishing Arizona as an innovation heart. I congratulate Steve and his crew on this milestone and for every part they’ve achieved in our state during the last 20 years.”
The Council has additionally labored tirelessly to create a expertise ecosystem that’s laser-focused on leveling the enjoying discipline by range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The Council’s dedication to DEI is exemplified by a number of inside and exterior partnerships and applications, together with its partnerships with AZNext, ALRISE and InclusionAZ, in addition to its personal applications just like the Council’s Tech Inclusion Discussion board and Girls within the Workforce committees. The Council was lately acknowledged for its efforts by the Know-how Councils of North America (TECNA) by profitable the 2022 Innovation in Variety, Fairness and Inclusion award.
The Council will proceed to mark its anniversary all year long, together with on the 20th anniversary of signature occasion the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) on November 8 on the Phoenix Conference Middle. To study extra in regards to the Council’s mission and work within the expertise neighborhood, please go to www.aztechcouncil.org.
