§201-19  Research and statistics for growthindustries.  (a)  The department shall maintain a program for the purposeof:

(1)  Measuring and analyzing new economic developmenttrends 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 insetting 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 andincome distribution, and issues and measures of the State's natural resourcesin relation to state sustainable economy goals;

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

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

(D)  The technology-based workforce, includingbut not limited to management, technical, and professional jobs, and technologyeducation and training;

(E)  Innovation and enterprise, including butnot limited to available information on startup companies, venture capitalinvestment, private and government research and development activities, smallbusiness innovation research grants, and technology licensing;

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

(G)  Global connections, including but notlimited to diversification of export and visitor markets, foreign businesstravel, 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 theirannual growth.

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