Marla Dukharan and Charlie Kirkconnell sand in front of CEC’s Signal House Location
Latest assessment by economist Marla Dukharan highlights CEC’s growing contribution to economic diversification, Caymanian employment, local innovation, and future-focused skills development
Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) has released its latest Socio-Economic Impact Assessment, prepared by economist Marla Dukharan, reporting that CEC and Special Economic Zone Companies have generated a cumulative economic impact of USD $1.23 billion for the Cayman Islands since 2012.
The report states that CEC contributed USD $152.3 million in annual economic impact in 2025, representing a mature and self-sustaining engine of economic activity driven increasingly by ongoing operations, salaries, local procurement, and domestic consumption. Salary-driven local consumption reached USD $51.6 million in 2025, doubling since 2021 and circulating nearly USD $1 million each week through the local marketplace.
“Tourism and financial services have long been recognised as the Cayman Islands’ two core economic pillars, but the data now shows that this story is incomplete,” said Dukharan. “Cayman
Enterprise City and the Special Economic Zone companies they serve have become a meaningful third economic pillar, one that connects Cayman to high-growth global industries, generating sustained local economic activity, and creating pathways for Caymanians into the knowledge economy of the future.”
The assessment also highlights CEC’s expanding role in connecting Cayman to globally competitive, high-growth industries. In 2025, CEC hosted 444 global companies in high-tech and specialised sectors, while actively doing business with 164 local firms. The report positions CEC as an increasingly important contributor to Cayman’s long-term economic diversification and resilience.
A key theme of the 2025 report is Caymanian participation in the knowledge economy. The Zone employed 172 Caymanians and Permanent Residents in 2025, with USD $22 million in salaries paid to Caymanians and Permanent Residents. Of those Caymanian and Permanent Resident employees, 61% were in professional or leadership roles, and 80% were in roles identified as future-proof or strategically stable.
The report also underscores Enterprise Cayman’s contribution to education, innovation, and workforce development. Since 2012, Enterprise Cayman has placed 177 interns and deployed more than USD $750,000 into skills training and human capital development. In 2025, Enterprise Cayman engaged 2,518 residents across 84 structured programmes, workshops, and high-impact technology events, while also supporting Cayman-born business ventures through the Business Design Competition and other entrepreneurship initiatives.
The assessment further highlights FutureMe Cayman, a free career-mapping platform developed through the 2025 Tech Futures Week Hackathon Challenge developed in partnership with The Cayman Islands Computer Science Society (CICSS), WORC Labour and Demand Unit, and Enterprise Cayman. The platform represents an example of how Cayman’s growing technology sector can directly support workforce planning, career exploration, and real-time labour market intelligence.
“This year’s report demonstrates that Cayman Enterprise City is not only attracting global business to Cayman, but also creating meaningful pathways for Caymanians to participate in the industries shaping the future,” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of Cayman Enterprise City and Chair of Enterprise Cayman. “The impact is being felt across the local economy; through Caymanian employment, local vendor spending, entrepreneurship, skills development, and greater access to high-value careers available here at home.”
The 2025 Socio-Economic Impact Assessment also includes a Strategic Policy Statement alignment reference, mapping CEC’s verified operational data against the Cayman Islands Government’s 2026–2028 priorities across the economy, education, workforce development, health, social development, infrastructure, and environment.
The full report is available at https://www.enterprisecayman.ky/reports .
For more information on how to get involved and for upcoming programmes and events visit
09 Aug, 2023
14 May, 2026
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