- Gov. Spencer Cox introduced the 'Utah Elevated' plan to guide economic growth.
- The plan focuses on Utah's innovative, creative and outdoors economies.
- The Governor's Office of Economic Development will coordinate with state agencies and industry to help reach goals.
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox said Utah is in a competition with other states and nations for investment and talent, and introduced a new strategic plan to help the state better coordinate to reach its economic goals.
"A little over a year ago, I introduced the Built Here agenda focused on creating prosperity for Utahns everywhere," the governor said Thursday. "In order for that to happen, we need to elevate the way that we do economic development as a state. We have to be committed and coordinated, collectively, all of us together, to act as skilled sherpas — a guide for investors, innovators and businesses that drive our state forward."
"Make no mistake about it," he added, "we're in a competition with other states and other nations for financial capital, talent and business investment. We do this work together. That is how we build the place of opportunity and livability."
Cox's Utah Elevated plan puts the Governor's Office of Economic Development in a central role facilitating business growth and opportunity. The office is led by Commissioner Jefferson Moss, a former state representative, who said the office's role isn't to create jobs, but to connect people with resources, convene business leaders and other stakeholders, and find ways to support innovation in Utah.
"We also know that the state is doing very well," he said, addressing business leaders in the room. "We have some incredible success that we've experienced. We know that's because of you. We know that government doesn't create jobs, but you're going to find in this plan that really our job is to help support you."
The strategic plan focuses on three parts of Utah's economy: the "experience economy" of the state's access to the outdoors and national parks, the "creative economy" focusing on film production and other arts, and the "innovation economy" that includes entrepreneurship and advanced technology.
The Office of Economic Development plans to work to bring together currently separate state programs and agencies that address different parts of the state's tourism and film industries. It also plans to study how each economy contributes to the state overall, like what has already been done with the state's tourism and film initiatives.
The office will also work with the state's Nucleus Institute, which operates under the Utah System of Higher Education, to support collaboration between innovators, educators and government.
"When you look at what's happening in our deep tech space, aerospace and defense, energy — all these emerging technologies — Utah is really leading out," Moss said. "Our job is to help continue to support that, make sure that we're looking not just next year but 10 years into the future."
With the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games returning to Utah in 2034, the strategic plan also calls for using the games and the national stage they offer as a chance to attract more international businesses and investment.
The governor acknowledged that there is still a lot of uncertainty globally, but said that uncertainty offers Utah a "chance to really shine and to thrive."
"It's not that we have a great governor — or a terrible governor, depending on your views right now," he said. "It's not that we have the best legislature in the country, although I think we do. It's that we have us and we care about us. We care about each other. We can't lose that because no policy or plan will ever replace it if we do. That's what makes Utah special."
