Dear friends,



Idaho is a pretty special place. Whether you’re relatively new to the state or your family has been here for generations, like mine, the people of Idaho take great interest in maintaining our high quality of life and keeping our state on the right track.

It’s impossible to deny our success. Idaho ranks first or top ten in just about every national ranking for economic momentum, budget stability, regulatory reform, and good government, and it is easy to see why Idaho has captured the attention of businesses and people from all over the West and the rest of the country.

Our focus has never wavered – put Idaho first, and the rest falls into place. We made historic investments in schools, workforce development, roads, water systems, broadband, and other key infrastructure to keep up with growth and position our state for future success while delivering unprecedented tax relief so businesses and families can prosper. As a result, our economy has surged ahead, and we are better prepared than any other state to withstand a downturn in the business cycle.

I am committed working with our business and technology leaders, other elected officials, and the people of Idaho to keep putting Idaho first so we can stay on this incredible trajectory. Importantly, we must continue investing in education and skilled workers to meet the workforce demands of a changing economy. I am particularly proud of the success of Idaho LAUNCH, our innovative workforce training program that is getting young Idahoans into many of the jobs featured in this report. While other states are seeing declining enrollment after high school, Idaho is bucking the trend! LAUNCH is opening doors to rewarding in-demand career opportunities and helping more young Idahoans stay here to learn and work.

From the start, my goal has been to make Idaho the place where we all can have the opportunity to thrive, where our children and grandchildren choose to stay, and for the ones who have left to choose to return. Creating a business environment where technology, innovation, and research can thrive is fundamental to achieving the goal, and both innovation and applied research are part of our Idaho culture and way of life. So many Idaho companies have grown over the past decade, building products and services to meet the evolving demands of customers, but also providing rewarding careers to help keep Idaho kids in Idaho. A diversified economy is a strong economy, and our success as a state depends on the continued success of our knowledge-based businesses.

I appreciate the work of the Idaho Technology Council in assembling leaders in industry, education, and workforce development to meet the needs of a growing tech industry in Idaho. The Idaho Knowledge Report recognizes different parts of the state have different needs. Thank you to all those who participate in these efforts. I personally appreciate the time and talent you dedicate to developing strategies that result in industry-leading products and services right here in Idaho. Your work is creating more opportunities for the citizens of our great state.

Brad Little

Governor of Idaho