Kakaako Tech Hub Lands $40M Federal Grant to Build Pacific Innovation Center

The Hawaii Community Development Authority has secured a $40 million federal Economic Development Administration grant to build a Pacific Innovation Center in Kakaako, officials announced Tuesday.

The 65,000-square-foot facility will anchor the mauka end of Cooke Street and house co-working spaces, wet labs for ocean science startups, a workforce training center, and a 200-seat event hall. Construction is slated to begin in early 2027 with completion expected by mid-2028.

“This puts Hawaii on the map as a serious destination for climate tech, ocean science, and defense innovation,” said HCDA Executive Director Craig Nakamura. “We’ve been losing talented local graduates to the mainland because there was nowhere for them to build companies here.”

The grant was awarded under the EDA’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program, which selected Honolulu as one of 12 designated tech hubs nationwide in 2025. Hawaii’s hub focuses on sustainable ocean economy technologies, including aquaculture, marine energy, and coral reef restoration.

The state and private partners will contribute an additional $25 million in matching funds. Kamehameha Schools, which owns much of the surrounding land, has committed $10 million and will offer below-market leases for Native Hawaiian-led startups in the center.

Several Honolulu-based companies have already expressed interest in anchor tenancy, including blue-water aquaculture firm Pacific Harvest, drone logistics startup SkyPort Hawaii, and environmental monitoring company Reef Analytics. The center is projected to create 400 direct jobs and support 1,200 indirect positions across the innovation ecosystem.