AZ TechCast

Successfully Doing Business with the Public Sector E32 If you've ever considered doing business with state or federal government entities, you know that the procurement and government sales process can feel like a maze of rules and regulations. So, how can your company stand out from competitors when pursuing business opportunities with the public sector? [...]

Historic Firsts: Arizona and the James Webb Telescope E31 On December 25, 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most complex space telescope ever built. Four days later, Webb's massive sunshield deployed and within weeks, its primary mirror started unfurling. On August 12, 2022, Webb's first images were released, and [...]

Strategic Analysis: Using Technology to Stay Adaptable E30 In a constantly changing world, businesses must stay adaptable by performing periodic strategic analyses. Through this process, company leaders can review historical data to not only inform their long-term strategy but identify the technology solutions to stay ahead of the curve. The September 2022 episode of the [...]

Building the Pipeline of STEM Talent for Tomorrow's Workforce Needs E29 It's no secret that Arizona is an attractive place for technology companies to call home. But with more technology companies being founded locally and relocating to Arizona from out-of-state, how can we ensure we have enough qualified technology talent to fill highly technical positions? [...]

Digital Transformation of Operational Workflows E28 In an increasingly digital world, it's critical for business leaders to explore digital transformation, or the creation and modification of business processes, culture and customer experiences, to meet changing business and market demands. But where to start? The July 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council's AZTechCast podcast featured [....

Exploring Arizona's Entrepreneurial Support Hubs E26 For years now, Arizona has caught the nation's attention as the "Silicon Desert", a major hot spot for technology companies and budding startups. Between the state's lower business costs, more affordable standard of living and growing talent pool, it's no surprise that Phoenix and Tucson are rapidly climbing the [...]

Proptech's Role in Innovating AZ's Real Estate Market E26 Arizona's business-friendly environment, weather and affordability have made it a hot spot for tourism and inbound migration for decades. But in a post-pandemic world where an estimated 269 people are moving to Arizona each day, the real estate market is experiencing an unexpected surge in demand [...]

How to Hire Technology Talent More Inclusively E25 Arizona's technology ecosystem can only become more vibrant by attracting and retaining diverse technology talent. In fact, by emphasizing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) throughout their hiring process, Arizona businesses can solidify Arizona's role as a more innovative and vibrant economic powerhouse that sets a precedent regionally, [...]

Using E-Commerce to Expand Your Online Presence E24 The global e-commerce market is expected to total $5.55 trillion in 2022. Between the pandemic, the transition to remote work and increased digitization, e-commerce is expected to continue growing, reaching approximately 24.5% of sales by 2025. The March 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council's TechCast podcast [...]

Using Public Safety Tech to Improve Community Relations E23 What technologies are law enforcement agencies and private-sector businesses adopting to protect public safety through a more informed lens? How can these entities implement these technologies effectively to produce more equitable outcomes, particularly for communities of color? And finally, which decisions should be made by humans [...]

Blockchain: The Key to Accelerating Technological Workflows E22 As a digital public record used for recording transactions or tracking assets, blockchain technology is poised to rapidly reshape a range of industries in the years to come. Blockchain eliminates middlemen and increases trust by providing a more accurate and transparent ledger for goods moving through the [...]

2021 – A Whirlwind Year of Growth in Review E21 Over the past year, Arizona has gained global recognition for its thriving technology ecosystem. Despite being on the tail end of a pandemic and facing supply chain challenges, Arizona has rapidly become an epicenter for electric vehicles, semiconductor manufacturing and many other rising industries. In [...]

How Arizona Became the U.S.'s New Semiconductor Central E20 Semiconductors are the nation's fifth-largest export, accounting for $49 billion in 2020. As the U.S. looks to increase chip production and fulfill its semiconductor needs on its own, Arizona is quickly emerging as a base for the industry's growth and success. In fact, Arizona has skyrocketed [...]

Made in AZ: The Rise of Arizona's Manufacturing Sector E19 Made in Arizona. It's a phrase that is becoming more familiar as the state's manufacturing sector continues to grow and add a rapidly increasing number of manufacturing jobs. Between the development of technologies improving efficiency and reducing costs, automation of manufacturing processes and a business-friendly [...]

Transformative BioScience Innovations Shaping Southern Arizona E18 In this episode of AZTechCast, the official podcast of the Arizona Technology Council, accomplished bioscience leaders from the BIO5 Institute at The University of Arizona, Souvie BioDelivery and Critical Path Institute joined Council president and CEO, Steve Zylstra, to discuss the innovative bioscience innovations shaping Souther...

Hypersonics: Fostering Innovation and Research at Mach 5 E17 In this episode of AZTechCast, the official podcast of the Arizona Technology Council, distinguished business leaders from Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the University of Arizona College of Engineering and the U.S. Air Force Academy joined Council President and CEO, Steve Zylstra, to discuss the importance of [...]

Arizona Commerce Authority – 10 Years of Growth Re-Imagined E16 This episode of AZTechCast features three members of the ACA's leadership team: Andy Lombard, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Venture Development; Jena Coolidge McGovern, SVP of Marketing and Communications; Brian Sherman, Chief Innovation Officer. These dedicated leaders are ushering in a new era of [...]

Trailblazers: Arizona's Women in Tech E15 This episode of AZTechCast looks at the incredible women revolutionizing our lives, Arizona and the world, through technology. Much has been written about male domination of the tech world. Many tech companies are run by men, and female role models are few and far between. And while Arizona's technology [...]

USMCA: Strengthening the Arizona-Mexico-Canada Bond E14 Supporting North American innovation, manufacturing and mutually beneficial trade, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) aims to grow the North American economies and create high-paying jobs for Americans. Moderated by Phoenix Business RadioX, a distinguished panel from the Canada Arizona Business Council, Jennings, Strouss & Salm...

Workforce Development: Cultivating Arizona's Tech Talent Future E13 While technology and innovation bring new solutions to life, it can sometimes result in unforeseen challenges and opportunities. Although the IT and cybersecurity industry is the fastest-growing sector in the state, there are currently more than 7,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Arizona alone. As a result of [...]

Leadership Strategies for the Virtual World E12 Without question, the pandemic suddenly and dramatically upended the working world, creating unanticipated business and leadership challenges. The rapid shift to remote work brought on countless challenges for organizations. The inability to bring external and internal stakeholders together in person for the foreseeable future adds more difficulty to...

Powering the Future with Clean and Renewable Energy E11 One energy crisis or another has shadowed most of the past five decades. From the OPEC crunch of the 1970s to the skyrocketing cost of oil and gasoline today, the world's concern over how to power the world has haunted scientists, elected officials, utility providers, end-of-the-world [...]

How 2020 Changed the World and Optimism for the Future E10 When the world celebrated the dawn of a new decade with a blaze of fireworks, parties and revelry on January 1, 2020, few could have imagined what the year had in store. It was a year that changed the world like no other for [...]

Reality Check: The Future of AI Technologies E9 AdviNOW Medical uses artificial intelligence to enable full medical exams remotely. The technology allows medical providers to increase patient visits that have been limited due to the pandemic. The AI technology goes far beyond the doctor/patient video calls that many have become accustomed to. AdviNOW's AI automates [...]

Electrifying: The Future of Vehicle Transportation and Mobility E8 Innovative companies are playing a significant role in enabling the growth of the state's transportation electrification market and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As technology for self-driving cars and electric vehicles become more advanced, concerns on infrastructure challenges abound. Moderated by Phoenix Business Rad...