THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            137
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IN
    HAWAII. 


 1        WHEREAS, Hawaii's economic base can be diversified and
 2   strengthened through the development of its high technology
 3   industry which generates high paying jobs and high value
 4   products; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, Hawaii must establish a niche where it can
 7   maintain an advantage in the competitive high technology
 8   industry; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, Hawaii's strategic location and culture can
11   facilitate the global marketing of high technology expertise
12   and products; and
13   
14        WHEREAS, the University of Hawai`i is gaining a reputation
15   for high technology research and development in a wide range of
16   fields; and
17   
18        WHEREAS, in the area of biotechnology alone, several
19   Hawaii companies have emerged including Neugenesis, Integrated
20   Coffee Technologies Incorporated, Aquasearch, Cyanotech, and
21   Mauna Kea Nutraceuticals, and major multi-national corporations
22   including Monsanto, Cargill, Novartis, and Dekalb Genetics
23   Corporation conduct plant genetics research in Hawaii; and
24   
25        WHEREAS, through a coordinated and concerted effort
26   involving government agencies, academia, and the private
27   sector, Hawaii can succeed in establishing other high
28   technology industries in the State; now, therefore,
29   
30        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
31   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, the House of
32   Representatives concurring, that the Governor appoint a special
33   task force, comprised of the appropriate officials from the
34   Senate and the House of Representatives, the executive
35   departments, the University of Hawai`i system, and the private
36   sector, to develop strategies and coordinate initiatives to

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            137
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   facilitate the growth of high technology industries; and
 2   
 3        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the special task force shall
 4   be jointly chaired by representatives from the Department of
 5   Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Department of
 6   Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the University of Hawai`i, and
 7   the private sector; and
 8   
 9        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the special task force
10   specifically:
11   
12        (1)  Evaluate the existing environment and infrastructure
13             to support high technology research and development
14             projects within the State;
15   
16        (2)  Investigate infrastructure needs in the near future
17             to support high technology research and development
18             projects within the State;
19   
20        (3)  Investigate the development of the necessary
21             incentives to encourage future high technology
22             research and development programs within the State;
23             and
24   
25        (4)  Investigate the State's image as a place to conduct
26             such research and development among major
27             multinational corporations, which conduct high
28             technology research projects;
29   
30   and
31   
32        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the special task force
33   specifically investigate the development of necessary
34   incentives and infrastructure to attract the Microsoft
35   Corporation, International Business Machines, the Sony
36   Corporation, the Intel Corporation, NEC Technologies, Siemens
37   AG, the Western Digital Corporation, and the National
38   Semiconductor Corporation, which conduct major research and
39   development programs; and
40   
41        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the special task force shall
42   report its findings to the Legislature twenty days prior to the

 
 
 
 
 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            137
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
 2   
 3        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 4   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the
 5   President of the University of Hawai`i, and the Dean of the
 6   College of Business Administration at the University of
 7   Hawai`i.
 8 
 9 
10 
11                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________