(HawaiiNewsNow) - Each year, the University
of Hawai'i pumps about half a billion dollars in outside money, mostly for
research, into the state economy.
"I would say we are in the top quartile
of public research universities in this country and for a state with a
population of only 1.5 million it is a remarkable accomplishment," said
University of Hawai'i President M.R.C. Greenwood. However, she and the
university are far from satisfied. The school has just embarked on an effort to
double that amount to a billion dollars a year. It's called the Hawai'i
Innovation Initiative or HI squared.
"We can show that when we are successful
at bringing the research industry into Hawai'i we create not only knowledge and
opportunities for our students and faculty, but we actually create jobs and we
improve the economics of the state," said Greenwood.
The plan is to use public and private money
to hire 50 internationally known, successful researchers over the next five
years. Greenwood says as the researchers generate more knowledge and
information and their ideas are proven to be useful, it could create new
business opportunities in Hawai'i.
The Hawai'i Innovation Initiative is modeled
after a highly successful program at the University of California San Diego and
is targeting researchers in three strategic areas.
The third area is where the University of
Hawai'i is already an international leader like ocean and earth sciences and
astronomy. Greenwood strongly believes the initiative will have a lasting
impact on the entire state.
UH leadership is currently meeting with
community groups and organizations along with business and political leaders to
explain and lobby for the initiative. For Greenwood, the bottom line is clear.
UH hopes to start bringing in the first of
the new, world class researchers in 2013.
For more information about the Hawaii
Innovation Initiative, visit <http://hawaii.edu/innovation>
Copyright 2013 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
