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OED, KEDB releases Kaua‘i Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan 2022-2026

March 24, 2022

To view the Kauai Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan 2022-2026, click here. For more information, please see press release below.


LĪHU‘E – The County of Kaua‘i’s Office of Economic Development (OED), in partnership with the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board (KEDB), announces the release of the Kaua‘i Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan (CEDS) for 2022 to 2026.

CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic planning, serving to engage community leaders, include the involvement of the private sector, and establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration. The plan was last updated for 2016 to 2020. 

“We extend our thanks and appreciation to our Office of Economic Development and partner, the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, Jackie Kaina, as well as the focus group stakeholders for helping us to navigate through this process,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “Additionally, we want to thank the many participants who gave their time and effort to develop this plan which will help guide us through the next four years.”

In the summer of 2021, the plan’s steering committee took on the theme “Kupa‘a Kaua‘i – Kaua‘i Forward!” – aligning with the County of Kaua‘i’s pandemic recovery plan to come together as a community, working collaboratively to rebuild, restart and re-energize the future of Kaua‘i. The CEDS update brought together a broad spectrum of community leaders from business, government, education, nonprofits, technology, and agriculture to exchange ideas and to discuss common challenges and opportunities for making Kaua‘i County a better place.

The update maintains the focus of the previous CEDS plans on diversifying Kaua‘i’s economy by focusing on industry clusters – food and agriculture; renewable energy sustainable technologies and practices; science and technology; health and wellness; and arts and culture. This year, visitor industry management and natural resource preservation was added as a focus area.

The CEDS process enabled networking opportunities among community members where they were able to discuss and debate important issues. During the development process, a total of 25 virtual meetings were held focusing on topics such as economic growth, tourism management, agricultural practices, infrastructure improvements, leveraging technology, strengthening healthcare, transportation alternatives, and climate change. 

“This plan will act as the roadmap and eventual framework for assessing and achieving progress toward the economic goals that the county’s stakeholders have collectively outlined,” said KEDB Director Jackie Kaina. “Over the next five years, the Kaua‘i County CEDS Steering Committee, industry clusters, and the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board will monitor the progress and continue building the partnerships necessary to achieve the CEDS goals.”

“In the spirit of ‘Kupa‘a Kaua‘i – Kaua‘i Forward!,’ this document intends to serve as a tool for better communication and collaboration toward the work of building a more thriving, equitable and sustainable regional economy which is something we all want,” said OED Director Nalani Brun. “Economic diversification clearly takes a village, and I want to thank our community members for helping to make that happen for all of us.”To view a copy of the CEDS plan, visit kauaiforward.comwww.kauai.gov/OED, and www.kedb.com

Last modified: March 24, 2022

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