Homecoming at the Tech Park

As Tech Launch Arizona moves through its second year, it continues to build relationships and affect the commercialization ecosystem at the University of Arizona. Most recently, it has played a key role in revising policies on intellectual property as well as promotion and tenure to accelerate commercialization activities throughout the UA.

Tech Parks Arizona and The Offshore Group received the Common Ground Award in Economic Development from the Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA) for their international business attraction program Global Advantage.

The Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI) won a $50,000 grant from the US Small Business Administration (SBA) for the Growth Accelerator Fund competition.  The competition winners were invited to participate in the White House Business Council Forum on Accelerating Entrepreneurship. Anita Bell, acting director of AzCI, connected with the group of 50 forming valuable relationships while learning how the SBA and Growth Accelerator Network are empowering a new generation of startup accelerators and incubators to achieve national priorities.

The UA Tech Park hosted 900 students from 20 schools in Southern Arizona to participate in Arizona STEM Adventure. The half-day program provided students with a hands-on opportunity to experience science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a fun and exciting way.

Claire Lawrence is a senior majoring in Political Science at the University of Arizona. She has been interning with Tech Parks Arizona during the Fall 2014 semester. Claire is engaged in the communication and marketing activities specifically tied to business development. She is learning new skills that can be directly applied into the workplace upon graduation, such as project management and website development.