Build It and They Will Come
Hawaii was once described as a “sleepy little town”. This comment was probably made when only one hotel resided on Waikiki beach. Over time another hotel popped up, then another; harbor facilities were expanded to accommodate the ships; then the airports were built for the planes. Over 7,000,000 visitors travel to Hawaii annually.
Cranes popped up around Honolulu as real estate development grew. Thousands of homes were built on Oahu and the development continued on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii islands.
Tourism and construction are major industries in Hawaii today.
The innovation and technology industry did not experience the same dramatic growth. “Emerging” best describes its development. However, similar initiatives that shaped the tourism and construction industries are evident in the tech sector.
Federal monies supported research & development and community leaders enacted laws for programs and infrastructure to support the development of the industry. Entrepreneurs started companies in their garages while others relocated their business to the state. Formal and informal industry related groups were created to form a unified network. Venture capital financed the companies and the state celebrated a few IPOs.
Nearly 2000 science and technology companies contributed $3 billion to the State’s economy, according to the 2008 report “Innovation and Technology in Hawaii: An Economic and Workforce Profile” commissioned by the Hawaii Science & Technology Council, the industry association representing tech companies across Hawaii.
Here is a snapshot of the initiatives that lead to the growth of the high tech industry in Hawaii:
2009
TechHui 2007
Manoa Geeks 2006
Honolulu Coders 2006
Kolohala Holdings LLP 2006
Ke Alahele Science & Technology Center 2006
Hawaii Science & Technology Council 2006
Hawaii Life Science Council 2004
Dragonbridge Capital LLC 2005
Kakaako Biotech Park 2005
Hawaii Technology Development Venture 2004
LavaVentures 2003
Hawaii Angels 2002
PacifiCap Group, HiBEAM 2000
International Venture Fund I 2001
UH Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship & E-Business (PACE) 2000
1999
Act 178 High Technology Business Investment Tax Credit 1999
Hawaii Technology Trade Association (HTTA) 1999
West Kauai Technology & Visitor Center 1999
HMS Haweii Management Partners 1998
Tangent Fund Management, LLC 1997
Hawaii Venture Fund 1996
Tangent Growth Hawaii LP 1995
Keo Kea Fund 1995
National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Science
(CEROS) 1993
Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) 1993
Manoa Innovation Cener (MIC) 1992
Maui Research & Technology Center (MRTC) 1992
Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC) 1990
1989
Maui Research & Technology Park (MRTP) 1989
Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA) 1988
Kaimuki Technology Enterprise Center 1988
Hawaii Information Network Corporation 1988
Mililani Technology Park (MTP) 1987
Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) 1986
Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park 1984
CyberPizza Hawaii 1984
Enterprise Honolulu 1984
Kauai Economic Development Board 1984
Hawaii Island Economic Development Board 1983
Pacific Century SBIC 1983
Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR) 1983
High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) 1983
Maui Economic Development Board 1982
Pacific Telecommunication Council (PTC) 1980
1979
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) 1979
Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC) 1978
Hawaii Telecommunications Association (HTCA) 1975
Pacific Venture Fund SBIC 1974
1969
Seed Company Research 1968
Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) 1965
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) 1963
Hawaii Society of Professional Engineers 1961
Oceanic Institute 1960
1959
Association of Information Technology Professionals (1956)
IBM 650, Hawaii’s first computer (1956)
U.S. Government (pre-1959)
University of Hawaii (pre-1959)
Statehood, August 21, 1959
