Overview of CEDS, vision, mission, goal summary, Strategy Committee members list.

Draft section: Introduction

Discussion of Alaska’s economic drivers and sources of “new money,” along with analysis of recent economic performance and trends.

Draft section: Economic Situation Analysis

Narrative description of goals and objectives, matrix of action items with approximate timeframes, lead entities, and partners.

Draft section: Goals & Objectives

Description of the data that will be used to measure progress toward the goals of the CEDS, along with baseline measures as a starting point.

Draft section: Evaluation Framework

The “background” section of the CEDS, with overviews of Alaska’s population, infrastructure, cost of living, and resilience concerns.

Draft section: Economic Context

“Economic Engines” is the term used throughout this CEDS to describe Alaska’s major basic sectors, which bring money into the state by selling goods or services outside of it. This section includes overviews of the oil and gas, mining, seafood, visitor, defense, air cargo, and forest products industries.

Draft section: Economic Engines

Emerging Sectors are those small or nascent industries with high growth potential based on Alaska’s competitive advantages. This section provides overviews of the mariculture, marine services, agriculture, and aerospace industries.

Draft section: Emerging Sectors

An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) shaping Alaska’s economic position and future prospects.

Draft section: SWOT Analysis

The Appendices include the following information: Meta Analysis of Regional and Local CEDS Plans; CEDS Business and Stakeholder Survey Results; and, Evaluation Framework Sources.

Draft section: Appendices

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a strategic plan to guide economic development for a specific location for a five-year period. You might already be familiar with CEDS plans in Alaska that exist at the local or regional level; the Statewide CEDS complements and builds from these existing plans in a “bottom-up” fashion.

Between the pandemic, a prior recession, and ongoing challenges like workforce shortages, Alaska’s economy has had its ups and downs the last several years. The Statewide CEDS will provide a strategic roadmap to navigate these challenges, leverage our strengths, and grow the economy. Having a current CEDS that meets the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s guidelines is also a requirement for receiving certain kinds of federal funds for economic development initiatives and infrastructure.

Project stakeholders have identified six broad areas of focus for the Statewide CEDS. Each will be populated with objectives and action strategies that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

1) Strengthen Alaska’s Economic Engines: established base industries.

2) Cultivate and Grow Emerging Sectors: small industries with high growth potential.

3) Improve the Business Climate and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: ensure that Alaska is a good place to start and run a business.

4) Build and Update Economic Foundations: infrastructure, living and business costs, and quality of life factors.

5) Develop Alaska’s Workforce and Human Capital: a well-trained workforce.

6) Build a Resilient State Economy: resistance to external shocks.

The Statewide CEDS process is overseen by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) with significant input from the Alaska Development Team within the Governor’s Office. The University of Alaska Center for Economic Development (UA CED) is implementing the public process, completing the background research, and drafting the document itself.

Part of the process of building the Statewide CEDS is to review and analyze regional CEDS plans to incorporate these regional strategies. Most of the state’s leading industries operate in more than one region, and many infrastructure needs (like broadband) span all or most of the state. In this way, the Statewide CEDS will support and leverage existing strategies as well as formulate new ones to grow Alaska’s economy.

An effort the size and scope of the Statewide CEDS cannot be completed without an extensive public process from a range of stakeholders. A Strategy Committee made up of economic development organizations, industry associations, large employers, Alaska Native organizations, and public officials advises the process. For robust regional input, the CEDS team hosted regional forums throughout the state, in partnership with Alaska Regional Development Organizations (ARDORs) and other economic development organizations. These gave diverse stakeholders throughout the state an opportunity to weigh in on strategies. The team conducted interviews with industry associations and stakeholder groups representing key facets of the economy. Lastly, a widely distributed survey gave businesses, nonprofits, and government entities the opportunity to contribute their input to the process.