Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Summit Puts Arizona’s Innovation Economy on Full Display

A day of keynotes, fireside chats and live technology demonstrations brings Arizona's innovation industries together

• 13 live technology demonstrations from Valley-based innovators
• Keynotes spanning space exploration, aerospace and neurotechnology
• Summit brought together leaders across Arizona's priority industries for cross-sector dialogue

MESA, Ariz. (XX, 2026) - The Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona's economic opportunities, hosted the 2026 Celebrating Innovation Summit on Oct. 30 at Arizona State University's Media and Immersive Experience (MIX) Center in Mesa. The full-day event drew Arizona executives, investors, policymakers and innovators for a program built around the industries, infrastructure and innovations shaping the state's economic future.

Hundreds gathered for a program that moved from the frontier of space exploration to the future of neuroscience, with candid conversations about the infrastructure demands powering it all. Attendees transitioned between keynote presentations and live technology demonstrations lining the first-floor corridor, where more than 15 Valley-based companies put their innovations directly in the hands of the people best positioned to invest in, scale and champion them.

"Aerospace, semiconductors, medtech, clean tech, software and advanced manufacturing draw from the same talent pipeline and the same research institutions, so they move faster when they move together," said John Graham, Board Chair, Partnership for Economic Innovation. "The connections built at today's summit are exactly how Arizona's innovation economy grows stronger, and the work that started here will have a lasting impact on this state's future."

The morning program featured a keynote from Bob Smith, former CEO of Blue Origin, on "Arizona's Role in Space Exploration," followed by a fireside chat on aerospace and defense with Jim Currier, President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, and Mike Madsen, former CEO of Honeywell Aerospace and current board member and strategic advisor for PEI.

"Every state in America wants a piece of the emerging trillion-dollar space economy, but few start with a hand as strong as Arizona's," said Bob Smith, former CEO, Blue Origin. "We have world-class scientists and engineers, deep manufacturing talent and room to test and build. What wins now is speed: leaders who are willing to move fast, back their innovators and learn by doing. I'm confident Arizona will rise to that challenge and extend its decades-long legacy as a leader in aerospace."

The afternoon spotlighted the "Future of Neuroscience in Arizona" with a keynote from Dr. Brandon Fox, Chief Resident in Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. Additional programming addressed the power and water infrastructure challenges that Arizona's advanced manufacturing, data center and semiconductor sectors must solve to sustain growth.

“The Thurston Innovation Center at Barrow gave me the resources to take a problem I witnessed in the ICU every day and build a solution now heading into clinical trials,” said Dr. Brandon Fox, Neurosurgery Resident, Barrow Neurological Institute, "That pipeline from resident idea to real-world impact is what makes Arizona's medtech and neuroscience ecosystem worth paying close attention to."

The 2026 summit's programming spanned the full breadth of Arizona's innovation economy, moving from the frontiers of space exploration and aerospace to the future of neuroscience, with dedicated sessions on the power and water infrastructure challenges every priority industry shares. Speakers and attendees covered ground that no single industry conference could. Arizona is not waiting for innovation to arrive. It is building it, and the leaders driving that work showed up to prove it.

The summit also recognized outstanding civic leadership with the presentation of the PEI Champion of Innovation Award. John Graham, Board Chair of the Partnership for Economic Innovation, presented the honor to John Giles, Lieutenant Governor-elect of Arizona, citing his lasting contributions to building an environment where Arizona's innovators and industries can grow and thrive.

"Arizona's innovation economy grows when its leaders share the same room, and this summit was built to make that happen at scale," said Mike Madsen, Board Member, Partnership for Economic Innovation. "The Valley does not just attract innovation. It produces it, and everything on display today made that case to the people who can act on it."

PEI's work at the 2026 summit reflects its broader mission to strengthen workforce and education, policy and legislation, infrastructure and sustainability, and technology commercialization. For more information about PEI and its initiatives, visit azpei.org.

‍

‍

‍