This past Tuesday (June 7, 2015) Governor David Ige enacted two pieces of legislation aimed at supporting innovative small businesses and manufacturing here in Hawaii. Collin Kobayashi, our President & Chief 3D Officer, along with many other business owners and state agencies had been working behind the scenes to help provide testimony and garner support for these bills. Collin is the Co-Chair on the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s Light Industrial Manufacturing Group and provided support to boost the bills. “It was an honor to have the opportunity to be there while Governor Ige signed both bills into law.”
“State agencies responsible for promoting and improving innovation and technology in Hawaii received a $4 million boost at a bill-signing ceremony held in Governor Ige’s office Tuesday (KHON 2 News).
Below are summaries of each bill…
- SB 1001: Establishes a manufacturing development program through the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) to provide grants to manufacturers in the State for the purchase of and training of employees to use manufacturing equipment and improvement in energy efficiency of manufacturing equipment.
- HB 1069: Expands the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by appropriating funds for HTDC to provide grants to businesses with a federal small business innovation research phase II or III award.
High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) executive director Robert Melton said “the actions of the governor and the Legislature will give us a big boost toward reaching our 80/80 goal announced this year, with the aim of creating 80,000 jobs earning $80,000 by 2030 in fields involving technology and innovation”.
You can view video of the ceremony and scroll through the pictures posted by the Governor’s office.
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