TechBA - Arizona

The Greater Phoenix Area concentrates more than 4.1 million inhabitants from the cities of Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe; it is one of the US regions with highest growth rate. The metropolitan regions of Greater Phoenix and Tucson are merging in the Sun Corridor; by 2030, this "megapolitan" is expected to receive an estimated $1 trillion investment.

Arizona counts nearly 6,000 high tech companies ranging from large, well-established companies like Intel, Raytheon, Microchip Technologies, Freescale Semiconductor, General Dynamics, Boeing, Hamilton-Sunstrand, Goodrich Corporation and Motorola to a host of smaller companies in ICT, Sustainability, Advanced Business Services and Multimedia.

Arizona exports exceeded $19 billion (USD) in 2006, including $5.24 billion to Mexico, which is Arizona's largest trading partner.

After the Second World War, Arizona started to develop its economy, which is a mix of technology-based sectors such as High Tech Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Optics, Renewable Energy, Advanced Business Services, and Life Sciences, as well as traditional industries such as Mining and Agriculture. In the Health sector, the region has specialized in asthma and allergies.

TechBA Arizona will operate in alliance with SkySong-ASU Center for Innovation, which is part of a technopolis fostered by the City of Scottsdale. SkySong-ASU, recently launched, has consulting and mentoring services based on the Connect model of UCSD. It is presently working with 37 companies from 11 countries.

Through SkySong-ASU, TechBA Arizona will receive support from organizations such as: Invest Southwest, Arizona Technology Investment Forum, Arizona Technology Enterprises, Arizona Technology Council, The Indus Entrepreneur and Thunderbird School of Global Management. There will also be networking activities with accelerators from Dublin and Singapore.