§201-19  Research and statistics for growth
industries.  (a)  The department shall maintain a program for the purpose
of:



(1)  Measuring and analyzing new economic development
trends within growth industries such as:



(A)  Ocean sciences and technology;



(B)  Biotechnology and life sciences;



(C)  Astronomy;



(D)  Technology and information services;



(E)  Film and creative media;



(F)  Diversified agriculture;



(G)  Aquaculture; and



(H)  Specialty tourism;



(2)  Providing economic information to policy makers,
the public, and the various growth industries under paragraph (1) for use in
setting policies, objectives, and goals.  This includes collecting, analyzing,
and publishing available data on an annual basis relating but not limited to:



(A)  Economic diversification, income and
income distribution, and issues and measures of the State's natural resources
in relation to state sustainable economy goals;



(B)  The technology sector of the State,
including but not limited to defining the sector, estimating employment, and
compiling available information on patents registered in Hawaii;



(C)  Technology change in the economy,
including but not limited to technical jobs outside the technology sector, and
the changing applications of technology in the private economy and government;



(D)  The technology-based workforce, including
but not limited to management, technical, and professional jobs, and technology
education and training;



(E)  Innovation and enterprise, including but
not limited to available information on startup companies, venture capital
investment, private and government research and development activities, small
business innovation research grants, and technology licensing;



(F)  The dollar value of research and
development conducted at, or in association with, the University of Hawaii;



(G)  Global connections, including but not
limited to diversification of export and visitor markets, foreign business
travel, and the manufacturing of export products; and



(H)  Venture capital investments in Hawaii,
including but not limited to the size of local venture investments and their
annual growth.



(b)  The department shall submit to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular
legislative session, a report that provides an update on the criteria used to
measure growth of these emerging growth industries.  In updating its reports on
growth of emerging industries each year, the department shall develop updated
measurements and analyses in collaboration with the University of Hawaii,
county economic development boards, and private, nonprofit economic research
activities. [L 2007, c 148, §2; am L 2009, c 167, §1]