The arrival of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to the Valley with its massive chip factory being built in north Phoenix has been seen as giving the Valley a one-two punch of economic growth along with Intel Corp., which is doubling down on its chipmaking factories in the region with its own $20 billion expansion in Chandler.
The TSMC project is one of the big winners of the 2022 Governor's Celebration of Innovation awards that have been announced by the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Technology Council. The names of the individual award winners have been unveiled, while the company award winners will be selected from a group of finalists and announced at the awards event and technology showcase on Nov. 8 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Purchase tickets here.
“This year marks the 19th annual Governor’s Celebration of Innovation and I am once again amazed at the high level of innovation and leadership shown by organizations and individuals within our state,” said Steven Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council and SciTech Institute, in a statement. “Though our judges can only select one winner per category, each finalist is deserving of the top spot and the quality of applications is a testament to the strength of Arizona’s thriving innovation ecosystem.”
The individual/company award winners and finalists were evaluated and chosen by the following selection committee of experts independent of the ATC. Several of the finalists have also been among the nominees for AZ Inno awards:
- Chuck Vermillion, CEO, AccountabilIT
- Keith Latchaw, president & CEO, MSS Business Transformation Advisory
- Doug Hockstad, assistant vice president, Tech Launch Arizona, The University of Arizona
- James Goulka, chairman and managing director, Arizona Tech Investors
- Eric Miller, principal and co-founder, PADT Inc.
- Nick Nolcheff, technology fellow, Compression Systems, Honeywell Aerospace
“The winners and company finalists for this year’s Governor’s Celebration of Innovation demonstrate Arizona’s unmatched technology talent,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, in a statement. “These innovators are focused on the future and are advancing next-generation technologies right here in Arizona."
Individual award winners:
People’s Choice AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:
- Cecilia Mata, owner & president, AllSource Global Management, Sierra Vista
Judges Award Winner:
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) team – Sandra Watson, president and CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority; Chris Camacho, president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council; and Christine Mackay, community and economic development director at City of Phoenix. The project was also named the 2021 Business Deal of the Year by the Phoenix Business Journal.
Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year Winner:
- Marcus Engineering LLC, Tucson
Innovation/Company award finalists:
Innovator of the Year – Academia:
- Dr. Hong Hua, James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, UArizona
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Estrella Mountain Community College
- Cybersecurity Lab and School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University
- Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
Innovator of the Year – Large Company:
- Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix
- Viasat, Tempe
- IBM, Tucson
- Lectric eBikes, Phoenix
Innovator of the Year – Small Company:
- AccountabilIT, Phoenix
- Avertium, Phoenix
- The TouchPoint Solution, Phoenix
- Sylvan Source, Green Valley
Innovator of the Year – Startup:
- AlgoFace, Carefree
- Atlis Motor Vehicles, Mesa
- YellowBird, Phoenix
- Botco.ai, Scottsdale
Transformational Leadership Award:
- Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Phoenix
- Paragon Space Development Corporation, Tucson
- GitKraken, Scottsdale
Separately, the ATC's 2022 Outstanding Tech Senator, Outstanding Tech Representative and Tech 10 Legislator Award Recipients were previously announced on Sept. 6.
The Future Innovators of the Year award winners, honoring students who represent the future innovators of Arizona’s technology industry, as well as the teachers who inspire them, were previously announced on Sept. 16.
Click on this link to see the winners of the 2021 Governor's Celebration of Innovation awards.
