E-commerce centers developed in rural Alaska for economic benefit: native Alaskans will soon be able to market their art worldwide via the Internet.

• Author: Poe, Bob
• Position: Alaska Native Arts Foundation

A frequently mentioned statistic in reference to the importance of the air cargo industry to Anchorage is that one in 10 local jobs depends on it. What many people don't realize is that a significantly higher proportion of Anchorage jobs, one in about 8 1/2, depend on doing business with the rest of Alaska. In line with this, the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. first focuses on helping Anchorage companies grow beyond Anchorage, and helping Alaska companies grow beyond Alaska, before trying to lure Outside companies to Anchorage.

NEW PARTNERSHIP FORMED

So when the Alaska Native Arts Foundation approached AEDC last July to work with them on forming the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership, we easily saw the logic in helping develop economic opportunities in rural Alaska. Alaska Native Arts Foundation's mission is to "broaden understanding of, and stimulate demand for, Alaska Native art." They are familiar with both challenges and opportunities inherent in the production, sale and distribution of Native art.

The Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a nonprofit partnership between the federal and state governments and various economic development organizations in Alaska. Funding is based on a three-way funding partnership where the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development provide two-thirds of the funding, in equal amounts, and the economic development partners provide a one-third match as an in-kind contribution. Since the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Community and Economic Development provide two-thirds of the funding, it allows each of the economic development organizations to leverage funds they would already be spending to attract double that amount in additional funding to apply toward worthwhile economic development efforts within Alaska. The current commitment from the Department of Community and Economic Development and the National Institute of Standards and Technology is approximately $800,000 each; Gov. Frank Murkowski has requested the state match funds in the fiscal year 2006 capital budget.

OTHERS TO COME ONBOARD

While the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership was started as a partnership of AED C and the Alaska Native Arts Foundation, it will eventually include other economic development organizations throughout Alaska. The scope of the manufacturing initiatives that the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership will pursue will be quite broad, initially focusing on better...