How New Mexico Is Reimagining Innovation and Domestic Competitiveness | 2026 Upfront Summit

Chris Cassidy of the New Mexico State Investment Council and Rob Black of the New Mexico Economic Development Department sit down with Upfront Ventures General Partner Nick Kim at the 2026 Upfront Summit to talk about how New Mexico is turning its deep tech legacy into a commercialization engine and why Silicon Valley should pay attention. Chris and Rob break down why New Mexico is uniquely positioned in quantum computing and fusion, how the state funds education from early childcare through college, and why their pitch to founders is simple: we are here to be an empowerment for business, not a roadblock. Topics covered: Why New Mexico identifies as a deep tech state, not a software state How the state indirectly funds one third of K-12 education as part of its long term innovation bet Why most state economic development programs fail and what New Mexico is doing differently How New Mexico is moving from R&D to commercialization in quantum computing and fusion Why partnering with Silicon Valley rather than replacing it is central to the strategy What it means to operate at the speed of business rather than the speed of government