SkySong is the best place for non-American companies to access the U.S. marketplace and for U.S. companies to access the global marketplace.
- Accessibility
- Economic Climate
- Commitment to Innovation
- Strong export market
Arizona supports a vibrant, fast-growing economy. We have technologically-savvy talent and an exceptional, affordable quality of life that appeals to the creative, global workforce. Arizona is the entrepreneurial frontier where it is easy to come in and start up a business without a lot of red tape. The business climate is young, fast-paced and full of opportunity.
The Phoenix economy is also strong and vibrant, and its continued growth has made it the 5th largest city in the country. The Greater Phoenix cities have a total population of about 3 million people. With the continued growth, new trade opportunities, non-stop transatlantic flights and growing biomedical and technology centers, the Phoenix area has a wide and expanding range of job opportunities to offer.
Accessibility
The California economy and talent pool are easily accessible from the Phoenix metro area. In fact, many companies have CEO's and workers that live in Arizona and commute to California on a regular basis. The same is true for California-based investors who easily commute to the Greater Phoenix area to explore investment possibilities.
Arizona is 40% cheaper to live in and do business in than California. Operation costs as well as costs of living make this a highly desirable place to do business. Your company will be successful faster because Arizona and Greater Phoenix are among the fastest growing regions and best places to do business in the United States.
SkySong is just 10 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport, the 9th busiest U.S. airport. Transportation, delivery and logistics services are readily available. SkySong is also just minutes from both north/south and east/west freeways and three miles from additional resources located at ASU's Tempe campus - the largest university campus in the U.S. - accessible by a shuttle bus service from SkySong.
Economic Climate
Our growing population is matched by our economy with the fastest growing Gross Domestic Product in the country. What the Arizona Department of Commerce statistics will tell you is that Arizona is an up-and-coming economy and its leadership is hungry to increase its share in the global marketplace.
What does this mean to you and your company? It means that SkySong tenants find it easier to do business here. Arizona has low regulations, no labor unions, a dynamic economy, and business leaders here are looking for opportunities to connect with global partners.
Arizona is the second fastest growing state in the United States and was ranked 1st in the country in Entrepreneur Magazine's list of "Hot States for Entrepreneurs" in August 2006.
Employers love Arizona because it is affordable to do business here. Arizona has a diverse economic base with many different kinds of businesses balancing the growth. Some of the top corporations in the world are major employers in Arizona. Honeywell, Intel (both of which employ over 10,000 people in the Greater Phoenix area), Boeing, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Motorola, IBM, and Google all have a strong presence in the region.
Commitment to Innovation
Arizona is clearly a great place to do business, and the state is aggressively investing in science and technology to support continued business success:
- $1 billion in science and technology research
- $440 million in research infrastructure funding
- Nearly $200 million pledged to Science Foundation Arizona
The TGen Story
The Translational Genomics Center (TGen) is a prime example of Arizona's vision and commitment to the future. Within only five months, Arizona's governor and government leadership, local corporations, private individuals, universities and colleges, foundations, an Indian community, the city of Phoenix, and health care providers had committed $90 million to establish TGen. Arizona's place in genomics history as a bioscience leader is now a reality.
Science Foundation Arizona
Science Foundation Arizona, a public-private partnership that will attract and support the best research in science, engineering and medicine, was established in February 2006. Already, Science Foundation Arizona has received $35 million from the Arizona Legislature through the 21st Century Competitive Initiative Fund, and philanthropist Jerry Bisgrove of the Stardust Charitable Group has announced his intent to donate up to $100 million.
Arizona Biomedical Collaborative
In August 2004, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona agreed to jointly develop the Arizona Biomedical Collaborative as part of the 13-acre, downtown Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC). The Collaborative will include university research laboratories, ASU's College of Nursing, and branches of U of A's College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine. It will begin operating in Fall 2006 and the first group of medical students will begin training in Fall 2007.
Research Infrastructure Funding
In 2003, the Arizona legislature passed a $450 million research infrastructure bill to provide funding for university research facilities. ASU will receive a total of $185 million from the bill, allowing it to add one million square feet of world-class research space.
Private Investments
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust announced in January, 2006 that it will invest $50 million to develop personalized medicine research in Greater Phoenix. In 2005, Intel Corporation began a building plan to build a new $3 billion Fab 32 state-of-the-art 300mm facility in Chandler, Arizona as well as spending $2 billion to convert its Fab 12 200mm wafer fabrication facility to a 300mm facility.
Strong Export Market
Arizona is already strong in the global market and is aggressively pursuing an even stronger position, increasing its links to Mexico, Latin America and East Asia.
Arizona's 2005 export total of $14.95 billion ranks 17th in the US, but its share of high tech exports ($7 billion in 2005) ranked 6th in the US!
Arizona's Top 10 Export Markets
(in millions)
- Mexico $4,757
- Canada $1,615
- Malaysia $779
- United Kingdom $761
- Germany $743
- Singapore $727
- China $649
- Netherlands $527
- Thailand $520
- Japan $515