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July 2021

Tucson Ranks No. 9 Among New U.S. Tech Markets

CBRE: Tucson Ranks No. 9 Among New U.S. Tech Markets

In its 2021 Scoring Tech Talent report, CBRE ranked Tucson No. 9 among 25 up-and-coming U.S. tech markets.

The annual report, which analyzes 75 U.S. and Canadian markets on their ability to attract and grow tech talent, noted that Tucson’s total tech growth increased 47% in the past five years while its tech wage growth increased 13% over the same period. Total tech employment in Tucson for 2020 was 15,850 with total wages averaging $85,786.

“Fostering talent development in lesser-known and underdeveloped U.S. and Canadian markets could offer additional talent pools to employers seeking to expand their geographical reach and uncover opportunities,” the report said. “These 25 smaller markets represent potential and in the U.S. are concentrated in the Midwest and South.”

The 25 potential markets were ranked separately from CBRE’s scorecard of the 50 larger tech cities, based on their relative strength in eight of the 13 metrics used for those larger cities. Those included tech talent supply, wages, tech-talent concentration, recent tech talent growth rates and their outlook.

June 2021

UArizona Among Top Global Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2020

UArizona Ranks 28 Among Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2020

The University of Arizona ranks No. 28 among the top 100 worldwide universities with the most U.S. patents granted for inventions in 2020, according to a list released June 15 by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

The new ranking represents continued growth for UArizona. In 2020, a total of 81 patents were issued to UArizona and the Arizona Board of Regents for inventions developed at the university, 19 more than the previous year. In 2018, the university ranked No. 66, and in 2019 the ranking rose to No. 39.

“The university’s land-grant mission calls on us to apply what we discover through research to solve real-world problems,” said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. “This is reflected in our strategic plan, our commitment to helping researchers and scientists commercialize their inventions, and in the number of those inventions that are issued patents. I am very gratified to see the University of Arizona continue to climb this list.”

Along with its ongoing commitment to world-class research, the university amplified its commitment to technology commercialization in 2012 with the creation of Tech Launch Arizona, an office dedicated to commercializing the inventions stemming from UArizona innovations.

“The growth in issued patents each year is a tangible indicator that our commercialization strategy is delivering licensable intellectual property,” said Doug Hockstad, assistant vice president for Tech Launch Arizona. “It’s the first step along the way to realizing our ultimate goal, which is getting those inventions into the hands of innovative companies and transformed into products like new therapeutics, medical devices and IT applications that improve lives and generate economic growth.”

“The university has demonstrated throughout its history our strength in discovery spanning the academic spectrum, from medicine to space sciences,” said Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell, senior vice president for research and innovation. “When we patent inventions arising from our research, we take that essential next step in translating the knowledge developed here so it can impact the lives of people everywhere.”

The NAI uses data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and highlights the vital role patents play in university research and innovation.

Published annually since 2013, the report ranks the top 100 universities named as first assignee on utility patents granted by the office during the 2020 calendar year.

“The institutions included in this year’s report are leading innovation worldwide through their encouragement of academic discovery and invention,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the NAI. “We are proud to collaborate with the IPO for the ninth consecutive year to highlight universities that have made critical contributions to society.”

There are 55 NAI member institutions represented this year in the Top 100. The IPO Top 300 Patent Owners List, published annually since 1985, ranks organizations worldwide that received the most U.S. utility patents during the previous calendar year.

By Paul Tumarkin, Tech Launch Arizona
June 15, 2021

March 2021

Forbes Names Tucson One of the 7 Best Cities For Remote Workers In 2021

By Ashley Stahl

Tucson is a fantastic place to live, and a great place for remote workers. Livability ranked it among the Top 10 Remote-Ready Cities in the U.S.

Tucson has a very reasonable cost of living, 8% below the national average, with the average cost of a home at under $200,000. The economy of Tucson is also on the rise.

In 2018, reports found that the economy in Tuscon was stronger than it had been in a decade. While Covid-19 had negative impacts across the entire U.S. economy, a October 2020 study predicted that Arizona’s economy would make a full recovery by mid-2021, faster than the greater U.S. economy.

Read the full article

March 2021

Peoria Honored as Best City in Arizona

AZ Big Media names the city of Peoria as the 2021 Best Place to Live, Work and Play in its annual publication, Ranking Arizona. Peoria jumped up two spots from third place in last year’s publication.

“When you think of a city that draws you, compels you to be your most creative, unique and exceptional self, it is the city of Peoria,” said Mayor Cathy Carlat. “What does a family want? What does a business need? Every decision and policy is designed to answer those questions. We are proud to have developed an exceptional city, where when you ask the right questions you get the right results.”

The city of Peoria is known locally and nationally for its high quality of life, beautiful desert vistas, safe neighborhoods, and award-winning recreation services. Peoria supports a strong business community and entrepreneurial ecosystem, has sustainable, future-ready economic development practices, and manages growth smartly. The city has a reputation for maintaining a solid fiscal position and providing essential services while emphasizing the importance of arts, recreation and open space preservation. Because of these characteristics, the city of Peoria has already been honored by Money Magazine, Forbes, Wallethub, USA Today and more for its livability and thriving economy.

“Peoria is more than just a place to visit. It’s a thriving, dynamic community of entrepreneurs, creators, innovators, teachers, leaders, students and families,” said Peoria City Manager Jeff Tyne. “It is such an honor to be recognized by Ranking Arizona as the 2021 Best Place to Live, Work and Play.”

Ranking Arizona, according to AZ Big Media, is “Arizona’s largest business opinion poll that annually ranks companies and cities based on those with whom voters want to do business.” Residents are encouraged to vote on Arizona cities and towns as well as more than 20,000 businesses in more than 250 different business and leisure subcategories. To learn more about the publication and Peoria’s ranking, visit https://azbigmedia.com/vote-ranking-arizona.