Imperative Four: Diversify Hawaiʻi’s Economy through UH Research and Innovation
Goal: Build and sustain a thriving UH research and innovation enterprise that addresses local and global challenges by linking fundamental scientific discovery with applied research necessary for technological innovation to create jobs and advance a knowledge based economy.
UH will build out and sustain research and innovation hubs in key areas:
- Climate Resilience, Energy and Sustainable Ecosystems
- Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Astronomy and Space Sciences
- Data Sciences and Global Cybersecurity
- Health and Wellness
- Food Security and Agriculture
- The Asia-Pacific and Hawaiʻi
Each research and innovation hub will:
- Pursue an ethos of excellence in research enterprise and knowledge entrepreneurship
- Leverage intellectual diversity and indigenous innovation
- Advance meaningful engagement in the Indo-Pacific region
- Become a force for societal transformation
- Generate intellectual property and spin off startup companies that create high-quality jobs
Sample metrics: Extramural and philanthropic funding, including in identified hubs; direct jobs created; overall economic impact of UH and its research enterprise; UH spinoff companies and jobs created.
Campus Strategic Plans
Links
Contact
Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy
(808) 956-6897
ovpas@hawaii.edu
This Post Has 7 Comments
Looking forward to the work these hubs publish. All very worthwhile endeavors, food security, and building a tech-focused workforce are imperative to the future of Hawaii. Hope I will have a chance to contribute to these imperatives.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo owns an old bank building downtown that would make an excellent innovation hub.
RE imperative #3: I hope that UH considers the fine balance of those key areas juxtaposed with cultural worldviews, especially in the NH community. (Eg. Astronomy, Food and agricultural security, sustainable ecosystems, etc.)
The hubs seem like an exciting concept, tho’!
In order to meet food sustainability for the state of Hawaii, farmers need much more assistance from UH than what is being offered today. There are no extension agents in the Hilo office to assist farmers today. Staffing has been on a severe decline now for several years. I am not aware of any recent publications out of the College of Agriculture.
More applied research should be directed towards agricultural problems to increase yields, increase quality of produce, decrease costs, improve marketing, and increase profits. Simply adding additional farmers is not the answer. As it is, many new farmers soon find out that adequate profits are lacking and justifies getting out of farming. Farmers need assistance especially from UH to increasing revenues and decreasing costs in order to stay profitable and achieve food sustainability for the state.
Aloha Masao, there are many extension faculty (both agents and specialists) in UH-Manoa-CTAHR Cooperative Extension Komohana Extension Office in Hilo. These faculty include all areas of Cooperative Extension – youth development (4-H), agriculture, and natural resources. Additional faculty in other areas of Big Island are housed in Waimea and Kona and have responsibilities across the island – intergenerational, livestock, etc.
CTAHR-Cooperative Extension programs in Hawaii County: https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/Programs.aspx
CTAHR-Cooperative Extension contacts in Hawaii County (listed by office): https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Hawaii/Contact.aspx
This is a great initiative to move excellent UH research beyond campus and extend to benefit society near and far, centering on Hawaii and radiating our impacts towards all Pan-Pacific countries and regions!!
Lead by example in making continued significant investments to further embed sustainability and renewable energy on our campuses and facilities, especially for New Construction. This ensures that Students, Faculty and Staff and the greater community that we serve can learn from UH as they are not only expecting UH to do this, they are depending on UH to do this.
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