Glendale Community College Opens $7.5M STEAMworks Innovation Center

By Kyle Macdonald, COO of Silicon Oasis

Arizona’s innovation infrastructure continues to expand across the Valley.

Glendale Community College has officially opened its new $7.5 million STEAMworks Innovation Center, a 10,000-square-foot facility designed to give students hands-on experience with technologies increasingly important to Arizona’s workforce and economy.

The new center includes virtual and augmented reality capabilities alongside a maker space equipped with 3D printers, drones, CNC routers, laser cutters, mills, lathes and welding stations. The project grew from an initial $1 million concept into an approximately $7.5 million investment, funded primarily through grants, including a $5 million STEM grant.

The facility arrives as the West Valley continues attracting investment in advanced manufacturing, engineering, construction and technology. GCC Dean of Career and Technical Education Dr. Susan Campbell told ABC15 that the types of companies entering the region are changing, increasing demand for skills in areas including engineering technology, advanced manufacturing, programming and construction management.

Built With Industry at the Table

One of the most significant aspects of STEAMworks is its connection to industry.

According to ABC15, GCC incorporates input from more than 20 industry partners per program, with organizations including Boeing, Intel, Honeywell, NASA and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security helping the college understand the skills employers need today and where those needs are headed. GCC is also working with ASU, GCon Construction and McCarthy Construction around its construction management programming.

That connection between education and industry is increasingly important for Arizona.

Building a strong technology ecosystem isn't only about attracting companies or raising more venture capital. It also requires developing the engineers, technicians, founders and skilled workers capable of supporting those companies as they grow.

Building Arizona's Innovation Pipeline

STEAMworks is also designed to extend beyond GCC's existing student population.

The college plans to host K–12 robotics and engineering competitions, summer camps and community outreach programs, creating opportunities for younger students across the West Valley to gain exposure to engineering and technology.

Facilities like STEAMworks add another important piece to Arizona's growing innovation infrastructure.

Universities, community colleges, startups, investors, corporations and organizations across the state each play different roles in building the ecosystem. Creating stronger connections between those pieces can help turn education into talent, talent into innovation, and innovation into companies that are built and scaled in Arizona.

The opening of STEAMworks represents another investment in that pipeline—and another sign that Arizona's innovation economy is continuing to expand beyond traditional technology corridors.

Source: ABC15 — Glendale Community College opens $7.5 million STEAMworks Innovation Center