Fifty Years of Technology Development in Hawaii
Hawaii is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Statehood this year. Hawaii joined the Union on August 21, 1959. Members of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission have planned a year-long celebration of events and activities that honor the past, respect the present and look to the future. Acknowledging that the future lies within our children, the Commission, along with the support of the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools have been focusing on outreach programs to students K-12.
One of the major highlights of the educational outreach programs is the 50 Voices of Statehood vignettes, which are being recorded by the award-winning Searider Productions of Wai’anae High School, feature personal perspectives on statehood and Hawaii’s history from 50 residents representing the state’s diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, political, social and economic backgrounds.
Over the past 50 years, the Hawaii economy has navigated through many different economic industries. In the past, with sugar and pineapple fields throughout the isles, the agricultural industry was dominant. The lure of the beauty of Hawaii brought plane loads of visitors which helped fuel one of the major industries, Tourism, and has gained the film and digital media industry. Statehood brought the business of Government which introduced the Defense and Aerospace industries to the islands. And, since Hawaii is a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it’s prime real estate for research in ocean and life sciences; astronomy; energy and the environment. Many of these industries fall under one umbrella, Technology.
Hawaii Tech 5.0 will document the development of the technology industry in Hawaii. Legislation, infrastructure, programs, industry associations, funding resources, research & development, and of course the entrepreneurs and companies, all shaped the growth of this emerging industry.
Were there successes? Yes. Were there unsuccessful programs? Absolutely. Lessons learned will provide insight into innovative approaches that will lead the industry into the next 50 years. The high tech industry has the promise of attractive job and career opportunities for Hawaii’s people.
We acknowledge those who over the past 50 years paved the path of the technology industry in the State to provide a road map for our future.
Photo credit: State of Hawaii
