♦ May Special Section ♦

Construction

Geophysical Institute’s New Planetarium
A decades-long dream of a planetarium at the University of Alaska Museum of the North at UAF was realized this spring, when the 65-seat facility was opened to the public.

The Matson Ocean Education Center at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
The new Matson Ocean Education Center at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is scheduled to be completed this spring and will be used to administer STEM-based educational programming to students about Cook Inlet, its tides, its glaciers, and its wildlife, with a special focus on the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale.

NAWIC Rebuilds
Members of the Alaska Chapter of NAWIC share their experiences helping to rebuild in Western Alaska in the aftermath of Typhoon Halong.

Construction:  H2H Alternatives
The Seward and Glenn Highways, the only roads in and out of Anchorage, connect to each other through city streets and arterial roads. The recently completed “Alternatives Refinement and Initial Screening Report” considered many factors to eliminate methods of connecting the two highways that have “fatal flaws” while illuminating methods that have potential. Learn more about the problem and this initial set of findings.

Alaska Native: Investments and Equity
ANCs have many wholly-owned subsidiaries; less well known are their equity investments in other companies, in Alaska and globally. See how these ownership shares sustain the economy while returning dividends to ANCs and their communities.

Oil & Gas: 2026 Lease Sales
Both state and federal officials are currently engaged in providing numerous opportunities for oil and gas exploration and production. Here’s a look at planned oil and gas lease sales for 2026.

Transportation: Pedestrian Lighting in Kodiak
Pedestrians on Kodiak are testing a safety tool intended to significantly improve nighttime visibility of pedestrians crossing the roadway. Learn more about DOT&PF’s goals with the pilot project.

Telecom & Tech: Small Businesses Leveraging Technology for Success
Alaska’s small businesses are rewriting the playbook on resilience, leveraging technology to stay competitive.  Alaska’s entrepreneurs are embracing digital transformation in ways that are reshaping local economies.

Professional Development: Characteristics of Leadership
This is the fifth of twelve articles by guest author Lincoln Garrick that explore key characteristics that good leaders avoid, with local leaders weighing in with their own experiences. For May: Disconnectedness

Retail: The Evolution of Point of Sale Systems
Point-of-sale machinery is changing fast; ring up the latest paying trends.

Government: APIP
The Alaska Partnership for Infrastructure Protection (APIP) works to integrate the private and public sector critical infrastructure owners into the municipal, state, and federal emergency framework, participating in all stages of the disaster cycle, from preparedness and mitigation through to response and recovery. Learn more about how APIP engages with Alaska businesses to the benefit of all.

Education: Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame Winners
Get to know the 2026 Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame inductees: Doug Goering, Clay Koplin, and Tom Marsik.

♦ July Special Section ♦

Best of Alaska Business

BOAB Winners
Alaska Business announces the 2026 Best of Alaska Business winners, as selected by our readers.

Corporate Citizens
Much like individuals, businesses choose their level of participation in charity, local causes, and community programs: who stands out as Alaska’s corporate citizens?

Best Breweries
Some of Alaska’s brewers have decades of experience guiding their businesses and operations. What leads to a successful brewery in Alaska?

Best 2025 Startups
We highlight three startups that launched in 2025 and are already impressing our readers.

Finance: Penny Futures
The US Treasury has stopped minting pennies, yet the little copper coins remain valid currency in a financial system that accounts for money, well, to the penny. How is the smallest denomination’s slow withdrawal from everyday use already affecting business, and what do local business leaders anticipate as the penny slowly disappears from US pockets?

Healthcare: Trends in Medical Transport
Developments in technology, training, and best practices are leading new trends in medical transport, including “treat in place” models. How are healthcare services evolving outside of hospitals and off the road?

Mining: AMA Convention Fairbanks
The Alaska Mining Association held its annual conference in Fairbanks in April. Alaska Business shares highlights of the conference.

Professional Development: Characteristics of Leadership
This is the seventh of twelve articles by guest author Lincoln Garrick that explore key characteristics that good leaders avoid, with local leaders weighing in with their own experiences. For July: Incompetence

Marketing: Outdoor Advertising
Alaska does not currently allow advertising on billboards along the road system, but that doesn’t prevent all kinds of outdoor advertising meant to catch a traveler’s eye. What kind of outdoor advertising is available to local businesses, and how are they taking advantage of what regulations do allow?

Media & Arts: First Fridays
“First Friday” events take place in Alaska’s urban areas regularly in the summer months; businesses opt to host the public through a variety of experiences, including music, food, guest speakers, et cetera.  Who coordinates “First Friday,” and what’s the real impact that these community events have on the participating businesses?

Retail: The Evolution of Point of Sale Systems
Point-of-sale machinery is changing fast, in ways many shops don’t appreciate. Ring up the latest paying trends.