Arizona Optics Initiative 2019-2023

Strategy1’s SBA Contract Accelerates Optics Growth in Arizona

In January 2019, Strategy1 was awarded a Small Business Association (SBA) contract to grow Arizona’s optics industry. The contract base year was 2019 with up to four additional option years. The Arizona Technology Council and its Optics Valley Committee were strategic growth partners in the program. Other key program partners included Pima Community College, The University of Arizona Tech Launch Arizona and Tech Parks Arizona. After the base year, the SBA renewed each of the four option years with the contract concluding after five years.

The Arizona Optics Initiative (AOI), led by John Dennis and Strategy1, was the working program and team that fulfilled the SBA contract. AOI worked with all optics companies in Arizona, with the Optics Valley Committee of the Arizona Technology Council as its primary communication channel, to:

Facilitate scale-up and growth of existing companies
Promote the formation and development of entrepreneurial companies
Enhance the visibility and community awareness of Arizona optics industry as a critical enabling technology for the 4th Industrial Revolution