And the Valley is providing it via schools and methods, such as SkySong. What is SkySong? SkySong is an innovation center designed to help companies grow by providing business services and programs offered or facilitated by Arizona State University. These services include access to new technologies, capital networks, business education and a skilled workforce.

It’s a huge building at the southeastern corner of Scottsdale Rd and McDowell Rd and houses about 20 global businesses, such as Canon: Japan, Airlight: Switzerland, eLearning: Turkey, DreamTec Software: Ireland, EyePower Games: Singapore, HVS Engineering: Singapore, Mahindra Engineering Services: India, Pacific Soft: Mexico, Ubidyne: Germany, and a latest start-up, nanotube technology with Brazialian entrepreneurs. However, there are also about 50 U.S. companies as well.

ASU’s Polytechnic campus set to launch aerospace center in an effort to compete in the defense and aerospace industries. It received a $1million grant from the Science Foundation of Arizona, and corporate partners matched it.

The center will be an ASU-led statewide initiative to build partnerships between education and industry. The center will partner with other universities, including the University of Arizona and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Universty. It will have an office at ASU Polytechnic.

The East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) is a career and technical school in Mesa. The VA chose EVIT as the one place in the country where it would hold expanded training courses for its own employees. The VA spent about $1M to renovate part of the school’s Health Sciences Center and install state-of-the-art equipment for a full operating room and sterilization lab. EVIT use it during the day and the VA employees attend training at night.

STEM Network wants to improve competition in Arizona by backing science and math education. Freeport-McMoRan Cooper & Gold, said that improving the quality of science education is crucial to finding qualified workers for business. The company has 100 job openings that it can’t fill because it can’t find qualified workers.

Backed by a $900,000 grant from Science Foundation Arizona, the specialty school with 20 career and technical education program focuses on project-based learning, sustainability programs and interdisciplinary studies.