Military

One of the Fairbanks competitive advantages is the strong military presence in the area. About 8,000 military members and more than 10,000 family members and retirees contribute significantly to the Fairbanks economic development by being an actively consuming market. The economic impact reaches 800 $ million annually.

In addition to direct economic impact, the military contributes to technological advancements in the Interior Alaska. Cooperation with civilians in the sphere of extreme cold weather testing and various high-tech developments significantly augments indirect economic impact and facilitates moving Alaskan resource-based economy to knowledge-based economy.