Louis Stewart, head of strategic initiatives at NVIDIA, was the opening keynote speaker. NVIDIA, a technology company specializing in AI and advanced chips, systems, and software, is highly anticipated in Arizona for their AI chip production.
“Our technology supports small cities by providing infrastructure for digital deployments, predictive analytics, and enhanced early management,” said Stewart.
NVIDIA had previously discussed the possibility of AI chip production with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), an industry leader in semiconductor supply and production in late 2024, when Arizona had also set the stage for becoming a major chipmaking hub, with several semiconductor manufacturing FAB facilities.
Stewart emphasized his work done in Sacramento, a technology hub which has innovated in 5G, tech-based start ups, and more. With NVIDIA, Stewart expects to see Phoenix joining Sacramento in the tech space.
“It’s a very layered approach … because it starts with their chips, GPU, CPUs and DPUs,” said Stewart. “It enables cities to use AI to improve everything from traffic management to public safety. We’re just a puzzle piece, but people build on our technology, and so we collaborate with a robust network of solution providers and technology to create comprehensive ‘smart city solutions’ and ecosystems.”
On Monday, March 3, TSMC announced their $100 billion investment into Arizona. City of Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego said her goal is to see Arizona become the “epicenter of semiconductor manufacturing,” during her keynote speech at the Summit, where she also described the benefits ASU and its students would see with such a partnership expanding in the state.
“It really is incredibly exciting for us,” said Gallego. “One of the innovations that will come out of this semiconductor epicenter is that ASU Health, the new medical school, will be able to be at the forefront of medical devices that use semiconductors.”
Gallego also discussed the potential for digital twin and AI technology with Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company, which has a large presence in the Phoenix metro area. Gallego noted how Phoenix has the largest autonomous vehicle zone in the world.
Another use-case was discussed by Jenna Leveille, VP of state and local government for Sanborn Geospatial, who described an example of digital representative technology in Arkansas worked on by Sanborn.
During an impending major flood event, city officials and stakeholders in Arkansas built models and integrated dynamic data from flood and water sensors to monitor water elevation in real-time as the storm rolled through.
“They had done predictive modeling previous to this, but as the storm came in, they were able to gauge in real time what the impacts down river were going to be,” Leveille said. “They had 48 hours to evacuate people, which was a lot more than typically used to, and they also had that same time to protect homes. And the end result was lives saved, property saved, less response necessary. I think it's a really compelling example of where a digital twin … really does add to our quality of life.”
Other topic-specific panels on industry AI and technology included:
- Economic Development
- Education and Workforce Development
- Hospitals and Healthcare Systems
- Security and Public Safety
- Tourism and Entertainment
- Airport and Transportation
“Every day is different, and it's really important to me that we build confidence that government can do big things,” Gallego said. “Like bringing ASU to downtown, or bringing TSMC, a whole lot of people have to have a shared vision, and so we need to be confident that academic institutions, cities and more, can take on these things.”
Sponsors for the 2025 Smart Summit include Altruistic, D2L, Unity, EllisDon, Deloitte, Glean, Magnet, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Capgemini.
The annual event is hosted by collaborators across Arizona State University, including Lev Gonick, Di Bowman and Wellington “Duke” Reiter.