Arizona State University Research Park: A Hub of Innovation and Economic Growth
The Arizona State University (ASU) Research Park stands as a testament to visionary thinking and strategic planning. Born from a political setback in the early 1980s, when the state designated the University of Arizona as the sole institution for agricultural programs, ASU transformed a potential loss into a significant gain. Faced with a decommissioned working farm, university leaders opted for a long-term vision that would benefit the school, the state, and the local community. This vision materialized as the ASU Research Park, a thriving center for technological innovation and economic development.
From Farmland to Innovation Zone: The Genesis of ASU Research Park
In 1956, the Arizona State College Foundation acquired 320 acres of land for experimental agriculture, establishing the foundation for what would become the ASU Research Park. However, after ASU discontinued its agricultural program in 1979, the university began planning to repurpose the land. The establishment of the ASU Research Park required years of collaboration with government agencies. In April 1983, legislation was authorized to issue improvement bonds for infrastructure and establish a park authority. In July of the same year, the Arizona Board of Regents authorized ASU to create a not-for-profit research park corporation. Under the leadership of ASU President J. Russell Nelson and College of Engineering Dean Roland Haden, the farm officially became ASU Research Park in May 1984. The city of Tempe issued municipal bonds to fund construction of the park’s infrastructure - including streets, utilities, landscaping and a lake system that remain signature features today. Revenue from long-term ground leases of parkland was used to repay the bonds. Groundbreaking took place in December 1984. The park's first ground lease was issued to Transamerica in April 1985.
Located just west of the 101 Loop between Warner and Elliot roads, the Park is now a vibrant and thriving hot-spot of technical innovation and realization. This is not an incubator where people try to be successful in technology, this is where people who are successful with technology come to get stuff done.
A Collaborative Ecosystem: Industry, Academia, and Innovation
The ASU Research Park operates as one of the university's Innovation Zones, fostering collaboration between the university and the private sector. The park is designed as a "living laboratory" for research, testing, and prototyping, encouraging interaction and collaboration between industry and academia.
The park hosts industry partners such as Amkor Technology, Applied Materials, EMD Group (formerly Versum Materials), Iridium Satellite, and Viasat, driving impactful research and economic development. These partnerships enable the park to propel innovation and economic growth, fostering strong industry relationships that inspire the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers.
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PADT is pleased to own a building in the Park, the PADT Innovation Center, where our headquarters are located along with three other business that lease space from us. We have found the park to be a supportive place, centrally located, with great facilities for our employees.
Economic Impact and Growth
The ASU Research Park's annual economic impact is over $1.4 billion. Its development has been supported by partners like Sunbelt Holdings, which has been the park's asset manager for three decades. The park's success is a testament to the long-term vision of its founders, who recognized the potential for a research park to drive economic growth and innovation in the region.
The park's development includes 26 buildings with 24 ground leases, totaling 2.2 million square feet. It serves as a hub of technological, medical, and entrepreneurial success, contributing significantly to the region's economic vitality.
ASU's Role in Arizona's Semiconductor Industry
ASU has played a central role in the success of the state of Arizona in building its semiconductor industry. Arizona now leads the nation in recent private-sector semiconductor investments with $64 billion since 2021. According to economic impact and public policy consultant Jim Rounds, the impact is the equivalent of landing the Super Bowl - 10 times, every year.
The university's efforts to revitalize the microelectronics industry began after the Great Recession of 2008, with state leadership aggressively promoting Arizona to relevant industry leaders around the world. These efforts included a trip to Taiwan in 2013, which initiated discussions with TSMC about establishing its first factory outside of Taiwan in Arizona.
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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego noted that ASU's well-educated workforce was a key factor in attracting TSMC to the region. ASU’s eight schools in the Fulton Schools of Engineering collectively represent the largest college of engineering in America, with more than 32,000 students - and more than 7,000 of them are pursuing education in fields directly related to microelectronics.
MacroTechnology Works (MTW): A Unique Asset
One of ASU’s most distinctive assets is the MacroTechnology Works, or MTW, facility. MTW has been central to much of the recent activity making Arizona a focus of America’s microelectronics revival. The facility provides companies access not just to brainpower, but to key equipment.
The MTW provides companies access to key equipment and expertise, lowering the barrier to entry for prototyping and development. As a result, MTW has attracted considerable outside investment. Last July, Applied Materials made a more than $200 million investment with support from the Arizona Commerce Authority in tooling equipment to establish a Materials-to-Fab Center to advance new semiconductor materials deposition technology. In December, NXP Semiconductors began a new partnership with ASU, supported by significant investment from the Arizona Commerce Authority, to expand new advanced packaging and workforce training capabilities. And as recently as March of this year, Deca Technologies and ASU announced a partnership to create North America’s first Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging research and development capability. The new Center for Advanced Wafter-Level Packaging Applications and Development will be located inside the MTW.
Looking Ahead: The ASU Research District
The Arizona State University Research District is envisioned as an environment that fosters the generation of creative new ideas and innovative solutions. It is a place to research, construct, and test new designs and products, encouraging interaction and collaboration between industry and academia. The overarching intent is to create a living laboratory for research, full-scale testing, and prototyping around a series of primary streams that connect to ASU and the Polytechnic Campus’ research mission.
In addition to research and academic uses, the plan introduces substantial housing for students and professionals, a range of community and social amenities, recreation spaces, and a central desert park. The research district site is proposed in the area south of the current campus and adjacent to the Phoenix Mesa Gateway airport. The vision is supported by a series of organizing principles that connect to the existing campus to create a strong synergy, harness existing infrastructure and facilitate collaboration though a robust network of pedestrian oriented integrated research clusters. At the heart of each research cluster is a central public space that is appropriately scaled and shaded to allow for outdoor use even in the harsh summer months. Vital to the development of the Research District was the integration and update of the Polytechnic Campus Master Plan.
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tags: #arizona #state #university #research #park #history
