Lessons from Iceland: How to Re-Invent an Economy

Week of the Arctic Event: Presentation by Halla Hrund Logadottir, a Louis Bacon Environmental Leadership Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and the former Director of Iceland’s Reykjavik University School of Energy at Reykjavík University Moderated by Gwen Holdmann, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, UAF Alaska is in the midst of an economic downturn that has highlighted the state’s reliance on a limited number of industries. Iceland, with a population smaller than Anchorage, is an inspiring case study in how a small, remote nation with limited domestic resources or wealth can create a sustainable economy based on developing its local energy resources. Once one of the poorest countries in Europe, Iceland has developed into one of the highest income per capita countries in the world and continues to reinvent itself as it recovers from the near-collapse of its economy in 2008. Today, Iceland’s economy is stronger than everbooming, with growth in numerous high-paying industry sectors, a robust small business sector, and a growing agricultural industry that produces 45% of the food consumed in Iceland domestically. Join us to learn about Iceland’s journey, as we hear perspectives from a senior member of the Iceland energy sector, followed by an open discussion with Fairbanks community leadership about what lessons Alaska can learn from Iceland’s experience.