INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO)— The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has released an updated version of its long-term economic development strategy, narrowing its focus to 18 priority goals aimed at strengthening the state’s competitiveness over the next decade.
The Summer 2026 update to Indiana Prosperity 2035, known as IP35, builds on the statewide vision first introduced three years ago. Developed by the Indiana Chamber Foundation and the IP35 Task Force, the revised roadmap reduces the original 31 goals to 18 priorities while maintaining six strategic focus areas. Each goal is now paired with specific performance metrics and data sources designed to measure Indiana’s progress.
Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders said the update reflects the need for greater focus as the state responds to rapid economic and demographic changes.
“It’s about focus and urgency,” Sinders said. “Indiana’s future will be shaped by how we respond to fast-moving technology, workforce shortages, the need for stronger educational attainment, housing constraints, ongoing health cost and access challenges, and infrastructure demands. Together, these issues will influence our ability to attract people, investment and high-growth employers for years to come.”
Sinders said Indiana has significant strengths but warned the pace of change in areas including workforce development, education, technology and quality of place requires a more targeted strategy.
“The updated plan helps us concentrate on the areas that will matter most to Indiana’s competitiveness over the next decade – and gives us a clearer way to measure whether we are moving fast enough,” she said.
The updated framework continues to center on six strategic pillars: workforce; birth-to-12 education; economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship; superior infrastructure and energy; quality of place strategies; and healthy, prosperous communities and citizens.
According to the Chamber, each pillar now includes three primary goals intended to provide employers, policymakers, educators and community leaders with a more focused roadmap for collaboration.
Among the priorities are increasing the number of Hoosiers earning high-quality workforce credentials, expanding STEM bachelor’s degree attainment, strengthening early childhood education, improving reading proficiency and academic performance, increasing population growth across Indiana’s economic development regions and ensuring every high school graduate leaves with a clear pathway to college, employment or military service.
The revised plan also emphasizes strengthening financing for small businesses, growing Indiana’s innovation ecosystem, increasing productivity through artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, supporting investments in transportation and energy infrastructure, expanding workforce housing, enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities and improving public health outcomes and civic engagement.
Todd Hurst, the Indiana Chamber’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships and impact, said the organization intentionally refined the plan to make it more actionable.
“We did not want the plan to sit on a shelf or remain static,” Hurst said. “At the outset of 2026, we began updating IP35 to make the Chamber’s economic vision plan more laser-focused, more measurable and more useful for action.”
Hurst said the update included input from the IP35 Task Force, led by economic development consultant Larry Gigerich of Ginovus, along with state agencies and subject matter experts from across Indiana.
The Indiana Chamber said the updated roadmap will guide its public policy agenda, research initiatives, member programming and partnerships with business, education and government leaders throughout the state.
“The IP35 Update gives us a clear, shared framework for action,” Sinders said. “We want Indiana’s business community, in particular, to see where it can lead, where it can partner and where it can help accelerate measurable results.”
