Partnership for Economic Innovation, a collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, will host its Celebrating Innovation Summit on November 14, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MST at Arizona State University’s Media and Immersive Experience (MIX) Center in Mesa. The Summit will bring together Arizona’s industry leaders, innovators, and partners to share ideas, foster collaboration, and showcase technology in action.
The Summit, co-hosted by Arizona State University, comes at an important time as Arizona continues to diversify its economy and strengthen its position as a hub for innovation across multiple sectors. This event will provide a platform for meaningful discussions about the future of the state’s innovation economy and the collaborative efforts needed to sustain growth in key industries.
“These conversations are vital to fostering and enabling innovation for Arizona’s emerging and legacy industries,” said Mike Madsen, Former President & CEO of Honeywell Aerospace and PEI Board Member. “By bringing together diverse perspectives from across our innovation ecosystem, we’re creating a more prosperous and inclusive economy that benefits everyone in our state.
The full-day program features keynote conversations, industry panels, and live demonstrations exploring the future of medtech, aerospace and defense, chips and AI, infrastructure, and workforce development. Attendees will have access to tech demonstrations throughout the venue, showcasing innovations taking shape in Arizona. The agenda includes panel discussions with industry leaders, networking opportunities, and a fireside chat with acclaimed 15th director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, who also served previously as the chief research and innovation officer at ASU. The summit keynote will come from Amy Liu of Brookings Metro, who has three decades of experience as both a scholar and executive and is committed to improving governance and public policies at the local, national, and global levels.
The event will feature two “Key Pillars of Innovation” panels focused on critical elements of Arizona’s economic future. The infrastructure panel will focus on energy, sustainability, and policy strategies essential to powering Arizona’s growth and supporting the state’s expanding role in the global economy. The workforce panel will explore how Arizona’s workforce is evolving to meet the needs of fast-growing industries, highlighting strategies in talent development, training, and collaboration that prepare Arizonans to thrive in a rapidly changing innovation economy.
“Collaboration between industry and education creates powerful opportunities for innovation,” said Grace O’Sullivan, Vice President of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at Arizona State University and PEI Board Member. “This summit highlights how educational institutions respond to industry needs by developing research capabilities while simultaneously growing the workforce and connecting students to careers that power Arizona’s innovation economy.”
The event will be held at the state-of-the-art Media and Immersive Experience (MIX) Center, providing an ideal setting for the technology demonstrations and collaborative discussions. The summit will also feature the Champions of Innovation Awards, recognizing outstanding leadership and contributions to promoting innovation and strategic economic growth in Arizona.
“At Partnership for Economic Innovation, we’re bringing together Arizona’s innovation community to share ideas and showcase the technologies that will drive our economic future,” said John Graham, Board Chair of Partnership for Economic Innovation and President and CEO of Sunbelt Holdings. “This summit represents our commitment to building a world-class innovation ecosystem where Arizona businesses and people thrive and prosper.”
