Driving the economy

Catalysts for future economic growth and resiliency

ASU students, faculty and staff have relied on innovation, ingenuity, hard work and determination to help the state advance through unprecedented challenges. With strategic investments through Arizona’s New Economy Initiative, which aims to enhance the state’s competitiveness, ASU is prepared to support efforts that revitalize the state economy.

Engineering and technology education and advancement are key catalysts for Arizona’s future economic growth and resiliency. To meet the workforce demands of the new economy, ASU is expanding its experiential learning programs and student support. The new learning programs focus on emerging New Economy fields: natural sciences, neuroscience, digital culture and design, media arts, computer science, data science and allied health professions.

ASU is establishing five Science and Technology Centers (STCs) — attracting private capital investment and pairing new companies with students who will perform research and technology development through projects, fellowships, and other curricular and extra-curricular pathways. These collaborations will help companies take discoveries from laboratory to market faster, in turn attracting new startups and technology-oriented businesses to Arizona over the long term.

STCs will foster the growth of New Economy industries, thereby leading to job creation, workforce training, startups and STEM education advances. The Energy, Materials and Devices Center, Advanced Manufacturing Center, and Advanced Communications Center will support the semiconductor industry specifically.

ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute provides resources and collaboration opportunities to businesses at any stage and across the Valley. Paired with our STCs, the university offers the ideal environment to nurture a thriving ecosystem of semiconductor and supportive downstream businesses.