The Partnership for Economic Innovation, a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, announced that the Arizona Commerce Authority had awarded $2 million to support seven new applied research projects through its WearTech and Other Applied Research Centers. State funding matches $2.2 million in private and nonstate funds committed by Arizona’s industry partners.
The WearTech Applied Research Center has supported 28 projects since its inception in 2019. Each project is developed in partnership with Arizona universities including Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Grand Canyon University.
PEI’s Applied Research Centers focus on de-risking investment in future-of-health, biomedical, and other technologies. The center supports these innovative products through the idea generation, project formation, validation, and commercialization phases.
“Funding from WearTech was a catalyst for our growth and gave our team access to vital resources, expertise, and connections that have transformed our vision into a reality,” said Dr. Eric Luster, CEO & Founder of Movement Interactive Inc. “Thanks to WearTech’s support, we’ve been able to advance our Hiji Sense Fall Detector, making it a more powerful tool for enhancing safety and care in senior living facilities. Their commitment to fostering innovation in wearable tech has been a game-changer for us, and we’re excited to be part of Arizona’s innovative healthcare ecosystem.”
The WearTech Center’s fourth cohort of projects include:
- Movement Interactive’s Hiji Sense – Fall Detector, a fall detector for senior living facilities
- Gravitrex’s Gravitrex, a device to help with walking rehabilitation
- Unlimited Tomorrow’s HR Haptic Gloves, VR haptic gloves for stroke rehabilitation
- Aventyn’s CHAPERONE, a wearable device that aids in cardiorenal metabolic disease management
- TF Health’s Ketone Monitoring Wearable Device, a device for continuous fat-burning monitoring
- Biomotum’s SPARKe, a wearable activity-promoting device for older adults
PEI’s other applied research projects include:
- Purity Resource’s Isopropanol Processing System, a semiconductor sustainability product
- Black Teal Energy’s, Universal Battery Management System, a product for the renewable energy industry
“The WearTech Applied Research Center facilitates public-private partnerships that serve as a vital bridge between entrepreneurs and the resources they need to accelerate their new solutions in industries like bioscience, manufacturing, and tech,” said Kathleen Lee, Director of Applied Research Centers for the Partnership for Economic Innovation. “We appreciate the Arizona Legislature and the Arizona Commerce Authority for seeing the return on investment for these kinds of technologies, and we’re excited to see continued support of research that drives meaningful impact for our communities and Arizona’s innovation ecosystem.”
“Arizona has established itself as a leader in innovation, with impressive growth projections that highlight the need to build on our momentum,” said John Graham, President and CEO of Sunbelt Holdings and Board Chair of the Partnership for Economic Innovation. “These new applied research projects led by Arizona companies in collaboration with universities highlight the pioneering technologies that are setting Arizona apart in the wearable tech, semiconductor and battery manufacturing sectors. Continued investment in applied research is essential to fuel Arizona’s economic growth, secure high-quality jobs, and enhance the quality of life for all Arizonans.”
