Innovative Local Technology-Based Businesses Boost Chandler's Economy

Chandler is home to some of the biggest names in technology and innovation, from Intel to Waymo, from Microchip Technology to Northrop Grumman, to the city's small businesses focused on entrepreneurship and breaking the status quo.

Innovation is at the heart of Chandlers identity, officials said. Economic development officials in Chandler said that 23% of the city's workforce is in the innovation economy far above the national average, which stands at around 10 % and even the average of the Eastern Valley, which is 14%.

To honor the city's history with innovation and set the tone for the future of Chandlers, city council voted unanimously to change the city's slogan into a community of Innovation in a resolution that the council approved in 2019 that updated the city's slogan, logo and strategic framework.

It goes back decades, said Micah Miranda, director of economic development for Chandler. Have Rogers Corp. and Intel and Microchip and Boeing and all having a presence in the East Valley, and in Chandler in particular, has solidified our community as we know it today. These are the first roots.

Now, five of Chandlers' six target industries, identified by the city's economic development department, directly affect innovation and technology in some way. Chandler lists its main industries as: autonomous vehicle research and development, aviation and aerospace, commercial and financial services, healthcare and biosciences, high-tech manufacturing and development, and information technology and software.

And city officials say the innovation came from big employers and led to startups and small businesses in Chandler who use technology and innovation on a daily basis.

An environment for innovative companies

Intel celebrates 40 years in Arizona in 2020. The company, with 12,000 employees in Arizona, has an economic impact of $ 8.3 billion nationwide and $ 23 million in capital investment .

Arizonaand Chandler in particular is a great place to do business and a place to live, said Elizabeth Shipley, director of public affairs for Intel. We opened our first Chandler manufacturing plant in 1980; many factors contributed to this decision, including the proximity to our headquarters in California, the presence of a skilled workforce and the availability of natural resources.

Intel continues to invest in Arizona and Chandler. The company is completing construction of a $ 7 billion project on its Fab 42 plant, which is now operational, and is expected to be among the most advanced semiconductor installations in the world, according to officials. Intel. The project is expected to create 3,000 additional jobs.

Shipley said at an economic development event hosted by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce on February 4 that for every job at Intel, that creates another 5.6 jobs in the community.

Over the four decades we have developed and manufactured technologies here, Intel has fostered an ecosystem of innovation that helps make our community a vibrant place to live and work. We have seen suppliers set up in Arizona, and we have seen Intel alumni start their own businesses, said Shipley.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, began driving its driverless autonomous vehicles in 2016. Since then, the company has extended its footprint to Chandler to support growing operations in the region with an addition of 30,000 square feet to 40,000 previously. installation of square feet. The facility, which now covers 70,000 square feet, houses all of Waymos' operations and support teams.

The city of Chandler has been (welcoming) and great partners with whom we have presented our autonomous driving technology to the public, said Julianne McGoldrick, Waymo spokesperson, in an email. An example of this is a partnership that we launched with them in June 2019: an autonomous vehicle transport program for city employees to assess productivity while traveling and potential savings in fleet costs .

McGoldrick said the city has also created the first autonomous vehicle pickup and drop-off area in the country.

Waymo would certainly recommend Chandler as a great city for innovative companies, said McGoldrick. We have found that residents and local leaders are open to working together to try to solve the city's transportation challenges.

The city's collaboration with Waymo also reflects why Chandler is an innovation community, said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke.

Technology is an integral part of Chandler, and our nickname of innovation community reflects the businesses we have here, be it Intel, Northrop Grumman, Rogers Corp or others, he said. We see innovation as inclusive of this, but we also look at how we, as a city, can innovate. We want to be a city that searches for good ideas and takes action to implement them and attract businesses and entrepreneurs with these ideas.

Foster innovation and entrepreneurship

The city of Chandler has been funding an incubator for several years designed to help entrepreneurs in technology companies take off.

Chandler Innovations, city sponsored and powered by Moonshot at NACET, exists to take entrepreneurs through what they call leads that teach them everything from marketing to product viability testing.

Diana White, CEO of Chandler Innovations, said that among the participants in the incubator, all are technology-based and innovative.

Chandler has just changed its name to become the Innovation Community, and so there are a lot of tech savvy people living here; there are a lot of ideas here, said White.

The city funds the incubator at $ 250,000 per year; in February, there were 31 companies in the incubator, said White, the highest Chandler Innovations has seen in years.

Our employees take risks and try new things, said Miranda. The purpose of the city is to provide them with resources to try new things.

Skynetwest President and CEO Noah Ruiz completed the first two tracks at Chandler Innovations with his company. Skynetwest specializes in retrieving data using unmanned aerial systems.

I saw someone on the news using drones to make money; I started a business; and now I'm working with this guy that I saw on the news, explained Ruiz.

Ruiz started Skynetwest in 2015, and before that he worked in a fastening machine manufacturing plant.

Chandler Innovations is a perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs to understand what they are getting into, said Ruiz. It is definitely a good place to attract and retain talent.

Miranda said the city believes strongly in its entrepreneurs and innovators and will continue to work to attract businesses in its six key innovative industries to the city of Chandler.

We have a background in technology; we have an excellent and stable municipal government, a well-functioning school district, and when all these things are thrown into the blender, it creates an environment where ideas can flourish, said Miranda.