HAWAII OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK: DEVELOPING AN ECONOMIC ENGINE BASED ON AQUACULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Gregory P. Barbour*
Laurence Sombardier
 
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority
Kailua Kona, Hawaii 96740
gb@nelha.org

The Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST), administered by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA), is a unique incubator and industrial park located in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. The park's abundant sunlight, cold deep seawater and pristine surface sea water resources and biosecurity make it a prime location for producing aquaculture products including abalone, shrimp, clams, oysters, finfish, lobster, marine ornamentals for the aquarium industry and micro algae based nutraceuticals. HOST is also known for its seawater products including deep sea water salt and desalinated bottled water HOST is Hawaii's premier innovative green economic development park and plays a significant role in Hawaii's growth in ocean technologies and sustainable development. The park's economic impact increased 40% from 2010 to over $120M per year in 2013 and continues to increase. An overview of HOST's expertize, services and resources which make the successful development of unique products and businesses possible at the park will be presented.