The Quad Cities has been named Technology Community of the Year by the Technology Association of Iowa at the 20th-annual Prometheus Awards, held Thursday, November 6, in Des Moines.
The award was accepted by Peter Tokar III, President & CEO of Grow Quad Cities and the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, and Brian Irby, COO of Grow Quad Cities and the Chamber.
Grow Quad Cities is the new regional economic development organization for our region.
Also representing the area at the Nov. 6 event were Kyle Gripp, Alderman-at-Large for the City of Davenport and Andy Zimmerman, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer for Grace Technologies. The prestigious honor was presented by Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Over the past few years, the QC has made major advancements in technology and innovation. The QC is a 100% fiber community, where internet service providers can provide a fiber-optic network directly to every home and business, providing high-speed, reliable internet access, according to Grow QC.
The region launched and expanded the Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center in Davenport, a facility employing more than 2,000 people and operating with 4,000 robots. It’s also home to John Deere’s Tech Innovation Center, where teams are driving the future of agriculture through digital technology and more than 500,000 connected machines.
Meanwhile, small business innovators like Grace Technologies in Davenport are gaining national attention — their Wearable Voltage Detector was named 2025 Product of the Year for making workplaces safer.
Peter Tokar said of the tech award: “This recognition reflects the incredible collaboration happening across the Quad Cities region. From global industry giants to homegrown innovators, our region's technology ecosystem is thriving. Our community is working closely with education partners like Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and the Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute to build a strong technology base that drives innovation, creates jobs and enhances economic opportunity.
“We’re grateful to Debi Durham, the Technology Association of Iowa, and everyone who helps spotlight innovation across our state, and we congratulate all the outstanding companies and communities recognized this year,” Tokar added.
For two decades, the Prometheus Awards have celebrated the best in Iowa technology and innovation. The annual event brings together technology innovators, industry leaders, educators and public officials from across the state to recognize outstanding achievements that strengthen Iowa’s innovation ecosystem. This year marked a record number of nominations across 15 categories, with winners chosen by a panel of distinguished technology leaders from across Iowa.
“As Technology Community of the Year, the Quad Cities joins a select group of Iowa communities recognized for advancing innovation and growing the state’s tech economy,” said Brian Irby. “From the launch of new tech startups to investments in digital infrastructure and talent development, it's exciting to see how our region continues to demonstrate its leadership in building a future-ready economy.”
For more information on Grow Quad Cities, visit the Chamber website at quadcitieschamber.com.
This story was produced by WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. We rely on financial support from our listeners and readers to provide coverage of the issues that matter to the Quad Cities region and beyond. As someone who values the content created by WVIK's news department, please consider making a financial contribution to support our work.
