PEI brings innovation summit back to Mesa for Oct. 30

The Partnership for Economic Innovation will host its 2026 Celebrating Innovation Summit on Oct. 30 at Arizona State University’s MIX Center in Mesa, gathering Arizona business, policy and research leaders around infrastructure, workforce and growth in key industries. The event will feature more than 15 live technology demonstrations, keynote talks and panels focused on aerospace, semiconductors, medtech and other priority sectors.

Why it matters: - Arizona’s innovation economy is being shaped by shared constraints and shared talent across aerospace, semiconductors, medtech, clean tech, software and advanced manufacturing. - The summit is designed to put executives, investors and policymakers in the same room to address workforce, infrastructure, power and water challenges that affect multiple industries at once. - The event also showcases working prototypes and live demonstrations, giving attendees a direct look at technologies being built in Arizona.

What happened: - The Partnership for Economic Innovation said it will host the 2026 Celebrating Innovation Summit on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at Arizona State University’s Media and Immersive Experience Center in Mesa. - Programming runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a networking reception until 4:30 p.m. - The summit is returning to Mesa for a full-day event focused on Arizona’s priority industries. - Registration, agenda updates and speaker announcements are available at the event page.

The details: - More than 15 live technology demonstrations will line the MIX Center’s first-floor corridor. - The program includes keynote presentations, Fireside Chats, industry panels and innovator spotlights. - Attendees will hear from Phoenix-area executives, investors, policymakers and innovators. - The morning session includes a keynote from Bob Smith, former Blue Origin CEO, on “Arizona’s Role is Space Exploration.” - The morning program also includes a Fireside Chat on Aerospace & Defense with Jim Currier, current CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, and Mike Madsen, former CEO of Honeywell Aerospace. - The afternoon will focus on “Future of Neuroscience in Arizona” with a keynote from Dr. Brandon Fox, Chief Resident in Neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. - Additional programming will address power and water issues tied to Arizona’s growth in advanced manufacturing, data centers and semiconductors. - PEI said its initiatives include the Applied Research Centers initiative and The Connective, Greater Phoenix’s Smart Region collaborative.

Between the lines: - Arizona is trying to connect its fastest-growing sectors around common infrastructure limits instead of treating each one separately. - The summit’s format suggests PEI wants more than speeches. It is pairing policy conversations with product demos and prototype showcases. - The event also reinforces Mesa and the Phoenix area as a hub for aerospace, bioscience and advanced manufacturing collaboration. - John Graham, PEI board chair, said those sectors move faster when they work together and that the summit is where those connections happen. - Mike Madsen, a PEI board member, said the Valley does not just attract innovation. It produces it. - Bob Smith said Arizona has the ingredients to compete in the emerging space economy, but speed and execution will matter. - Dr. Brandon Fox said Barrow’s Thurston Innovation Center helped move a resident-led idea toward clinical trials.

What’s next: - PEI will continue releasing agenda updates and additional speaker announcements ahead of the Oct. 30 summit. - Attendees can expect more details on speakers and demonstrations as the event approaches. - The summit is likely to serve as a touchpoint for future conversations about talent, research, energy and water needs across Arizona’s growth sectors.

The bottom line: - PEI is using the 2026 summit to turn Arizona’s innovation economy into a single, coordinated conversation about growth, infrastructure and execution.