Attendees, including the City of Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Chandler, engaged in workshops, panels, presentations, and live technology demonstrations featuring virtual reality digital engagement rooms, augmented reality tools, and 3D printing technology. These offered insights into citizen engagement platforms, circular economy initiatives, and emerging communication technologies.

Facilitated by The Connective, cities learned from one another and exchanged best data collection practices. The attendees included local government leaders, state/regional partners, K-12 and higher education representatives, smart city technology innovators, and community members.

“By fostering collaboration among cities, The Connective is positioning the Greater Phoenix region as a leader among smart cities nationally,” said Ben Williams, Program Manager of The Connective. “Uniting government officials, technology innovators, and community stakeholders to engage in mutual learning and cooperation will greatly enhance our citizens’ quality of life.”

About the Partnership for Economic Innovation

Partnership for Economic Innovation is a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities. We believe innovators are problem solvers who come from anywhere, if they have access to pathways to do so — which is why PEI is investing in community-building technology and R&D designed to make Arizona more resilient and empower innovators to bring world-changing ideas to market. PEI initiatives include:

Applied Research Centers aligned with Arizona’s key technology domains are accelerating the development of emerging technology products with the potential to fuel growth industries and create quality jobs for Arizonans.

The Connective, Greater Phoenix’s internationally acclaimed Smart Region collaborative, convening cities, industries and entrepreneurs to lay the open innovation groundwork to solve regional challenges.