In this issue, we spotlight DBEDT’s efforts to support our local economy and communities—from strengthening ties with Japan to programs making homeownership more accessible, these initiatives reflect our focus on resiliency and sustainability for the future of our state.
This month’s stories highlight key developments in housing, digital equity, and technology. Our DURF Equity Pilot Program is helping critical workers achieve homeownership, while the Hawai‘i State Energy Office’s award-winning Geospatial Decision Support System is improving energy infrastructure. Additionally, our efforts in digital inclusion are ensuring that all residents have access to the benefits of a connected world.
We remain committed to fostering opportunities that support Hawai‘i’s businesses, industries, and people. Thank you for your continued support, and I invite you to explore the initiatives featured in this issue.
Me ke aloha,
James Kunane Tokioka
DBEDT Talks Helping Hawaiʻi Businesses on
“Hawaiʻi Matters”
DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka and Deputy Director Dane Wicker recently appeared on the “Hawaiʻi Matters” radio show, where they highlighted the department’s role in supporting local businesses. They discussed the various programs aimed at fostering innovation, assisting small businesses, and promoting economic development. They also provided an overview of the state’s current economic outlook, focusing on future opportunities for growth and resilience in key industries, including tourism, film production, creative industries, agriculture, technology, product development, and more.
HTA Strengthens Japan Market with Key Partnerships
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) recently announced two major initiatives to bolster Hawai‘i’s tourism industry with a focus on the Japan market. These partnerships underscore HTA’s commitment to sustainable tourism and economic growth.
Japan’s three largest tour operators—HIS, JALPAK, and JTB Hawaiʻi—are now partners in HTA’s Qurator certification program. This certification highlights their dedication to regenerative tourism, aligning with Hawai‘i’s values of sustainability and cultural preservation. The Qurator program evaluates businesses on criteria such as environmental stewardship, cultural support, and guest experience. Read the full news release.
HTA, in collaboration with Meet Hawai‘i, also signed a three-year partnership with JTB to attract high-value business events from Japan. This partnership includes the launch of the JTB Ambassador Program, aimed at increasing expertise in organizing business events in Hawai‘i, and fostering cultural exchanges between Japan and Hawai‘i. The partnership will help reinforce Hawai‘i as a top destination for both leisure and business travel. Read the full news release.
These initiatives highlight HTA’s ongoing efforts to sustain and enhance Hawai‘i’s tourism sector through strategic partnerships and certifications that prioritize the well-being of both the local community and the environment.
DURF Equity Pilot Program Is Helping Critical Workers Buy Homes
Image courtesy of Kuilei Place
A new state initiative, the DURF Equity Pilot (DEP) Program, is making homeownership more accessible for Hawai‘i's critical workforce. Teachers, nurses, law enforcement officers, and other essential professionals now have the opportunity to purchase condos at below-market prices, thanks to partial equity investments made by the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC).
The DEP Program is part of the larger Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund (DURF), established in 1970 to support housing development and related infrastructure projects in Hawai‘i. The DEP Program, which launched in 2024, dedicates a portion of these funds to help essential workers by lowering the cost of housing through shared equity.
By investing in partial equity, the HHFDC reduces the purchase price of homes for buyers, and the state's investment is repaid when the property is sold. This revolving fund model ensures continued support for future homebuyers.
In this Hawaii Business Magazine article, writer Kathryn Drury Wagner shares the story of how Samantha St. John, a nurse at Kapi‘olani Medical Center, was able to purchase her first home through the program at Kuilei Place on Kapi‘olani Boulevard, one of the first projects benefiting from DEP.
With continued support from the state and an expanding list of participating developments, the DEP Program aims to retain Hawai‘i’s workforce by providing a pathway to homeownership. HHFDC plans to request additional funding in 2025 to make the program permanent and help more residents achieve their homeownership dreams.
Three Hawaiʻi state programs have been honored at the 2024 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards. The Hawaiʻi State Energy Office’s “Geospatial Decision Support System" (GDSS) won the top award in Emerging & Innovative Technologies for its role in improving energy infrastructure resilience. To learn more about the GDSS and the other Hawai‘i state programs honored, read the full news release.
Pearl Harbor’s Microgrid Advances Energy Resilience with HTDC Support
The 154th Wing, Hawai‘i Air National Guard is home to the Pacific Energy Assurance Renewables Laboratory (PEARL) microgrid. The project is a collaboration with HTDC/HCATT, Air Force Research Laboratory, Hawai‘i Air National Guard, and locally based A&E Burns and McDonnell, to utilize renewable energy like solar and batteries to power key infrastructure and serve as a demonstration laboratory for renewable energy technology. The project is focused on the use of renewable energy in lieu of fossil fuels to provide power to the Hawai‘i National Guard. This microgrid system will also be at the forefront of helping Hawai‘i reach its 2045 renewable energy goals as well.
Celebrating 50 Years of NELHA
Photos courtesy of Tetrachrome
In celebration of its 50-year anniversary, NELHA invited the community to an open house at the Hawai‘i Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park. The event welcomed approximately 1,000 people and showcased many park clients and featured farm and nursery tours, interactive exhibits and demonstrations, food sampling, hands-on activities and live entertainment. In case you missed it, take a virtual tour or read the HOST Park’s success stories here.
Pacific Tech 2024 Conference – Oct. 28 - 29, 2024
Hosted by the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC), the Defense Leadership Forum, and supported in part by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Pacific Tech / Pacific Defense Contracting 2024 Conference aims to connect small businesses with government and private sector opportunities. General admission and neighbor island rates end on Oct. 25, government employee and student rates end on Oct. 29, and limited admission may be available at the door. For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit: https://www.htdc.org/pacific-tech-2024/
Hawaiʻi Farm Bureauʻs 77th Annual Convention – Oct. 28 – 30, 2024
At the HFB Annual Convention, members are joined by leaders and key contributors to Hawaiʻi’s agricultural industry to discuss issues affecting agriculture. DBEDT divisions and attached agencies will be among the trade show participants. For more information, visit: https://hfbf.org/hfb-annual-convention/
Small Business Credit Survey Deadline – Nov. 1, 2024
The Federal Reserve seeks feedback from small business owners in this year’s Small Business Credit Survey. Join the thousands of for-profit small businesses who complete the survey to voice what you are experiencing. Survey closes Nov. 1; complete the survey here: https://bit.ly/3XuQqJC.
Manufacturing Assistance Program Application Deadline – Dec. 1, 2024
HTDC’s Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP) offers Hawaiʻi-based manufacturers up to 20% reimbursement (up to $100,000) on qualified expenses. The Hawaiʻi State Legislature has allocated $1 million for 2025 through the INNOVATE Hawaiʻi program. Applications are open now and due by December 1, 2024, at 11:59 PM. For more details and to apply, visit: https://www.htdc.org/funding/map-grants/.
For more on DBEDT and its divisions and attached agencies, please visit dbedt.hawaii.gov
Below are links to more news from DBEDT’s core divisions, attached agencies and related programs:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
