HONOLULU – Today, the a joint Hawaii State Senate committee will discuss a resolution (SCR 27 / SR 10) which will request the Office Of Aerospace Development to develop a plan for the Gil Kahele Aero Technology Campus in Hilo.

The Senate Committee On Public Safety, Intergovernmental, And Military Affairs and the Senate Committee On Economic Development, Environment, And Technology will take up the matter at 1:15 p.m. today in Honolulu.

State Senator Kai Kahele, who was appointed to the first district senate seat following the death of his father, Senator Gil Kahele, is in full support of the measure.

The language of the resolution:

SCR 27 / SR 10

WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s mission is achieving a Hawaii economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic, and productive, providing opportunities for all of Hawaii’s citizens; and

WHEREAS, through its attached agencies, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism aims to foster planned community development, create affordable workforce housing in high-quality living environments, and promote growth in the innovation and technology sector; and

WHEREAS, the HI Growth Initiative is the core of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s effort to support economic development in Hawaii; the initiative is sharply focused on finding ways to support new business and industries; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, through the High Technology Development Corporation, has established a goal of creating 80,000 new jobs with salaries over $80,000 in technology and innovation by 2030; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development, in the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, provides a focal point within state government to facilitate dialogue and coordination among Hawaii’s public, private, and academic sectors, and between state-based entities and public and private overseas organizations to promote the growth and diversification of Hawaii’s aerospace, aeronautical, and aviation industries; and

WHEREAS, the primary goals of the Office of Aerospace Development are to:

(1) Identify and promote opportunities for expanding and diversifying aero tech-related industries in Hawaii, including but not limited to applied optics, astronomy, and astrophysics, aviation, space-based applications of dual-use technology, environmental monitoring and remote sensing, satellite communications, and commercial space launch;

(2) Catalyze partnerships among local universities and businesses to:

(A) Improve the relevance and quality of university training to support the growth and diversification of Hawaii’s aero tech industry;

(B) Identify entrepreneurial opportunities for commercializing innovative spinoffs from basic research; and

(C) Facilitate technology transfer from the university to the private sector to expedite commercialization;

(3) Assist local universities, companies, research institutions, and other interested organizations in establishing partnerships with corporate, government, and educational entities overseas that can promote and enhance Hawaii’s aero tech industry;

(4) Promote innovative education and workforce development programs that will enhance public awareness of our State’s aerospace, aeronautical, and aviation potential and enable local citizens to pursue employment in Hawaii’s aero tech industry;

(5) Monitor national and global trends in the aero tech industry and recommend programs and policies that can support aerospace, aeronautical, and aviation industry development statewide;

(6) Help leverage aerospace, aeronautical, and aviation and related technological capabilities in Hawaii’s public, academic, and private sectors to support the national space program and facilitate international dialogue toward the design, development, and implementation of multinational space exploration initiatives; and

(7) Serve as a central point of contact for state government that can respond to local and out-of-state inquiries concerning Hawaii’s aero tech-related interests and activities; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Office of Aerospace Development is requested to enter into an agreement with the following agencies to develop a plan for the Gil Kahele Aero Technology Campus: High Technology Development Corporation, Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Waiakea High School, Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center, and the County of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism may request other agencies and organizations to enter into the agreement with the Office of Aerospace Development to develop a plan for the Gil Kahele Aero Technology Campus; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Gil Kahele Aero Technology Campus be located on a site in Hilo to be identified by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to submit the plan for the Gil Kahele Aero Technology Campus, including the proposed site of the campus, to the Legislature no later than sixty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Office of Aerospace Development, Board of Directors of the High Technology Development Corporation, Board of Directors of the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation, Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Director of Transportation, Adjutant General, Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Interim President of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Principal of Waiakea High School, Board of Directors of the Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center, and the Mayor of the County of Hawaii.