The consensus is that Hawaii is uniquely positioned to meet the competitive nature of the industry in key sectors where a critical mass in research, innovative companies and entrepreneurs, and a physical environment for research and development, are in place. Hawaii has unique assets at its disposal to move biotechnology products and services forward. These assets have attracted some 45 companies today that are conducting business in food and crop production, aquaculture science, genetics research, and environmental remediation. The University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center are leaders in applied research in tropical fruit, forestry, and plant production and preservation. The agriculture industry has realized significant commercial value through innovations in disease control and tropical crop production.
Marine biotechnology is another area of strength for Hawaii.
The 870-acre facility, located on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, is the only facility worldwide which consistently brings ashore a continuous supply of both cold deep seawater and warm surface water. With solar insulation higher than any other coastal site in the United States, unique natural resources are combined to create ideal conditions for the growth of microalgae. The earth's environmental problems in the coming millennium will certainly be one of the industry's great challenges. Hawaii's island ecosystem has served the Asia-Pacific region as a model for the use of environmental remediation research, demonstration, and education programs. In human drugs and therapies, the state's diverse population offers ideal conditions for epidemiological studies at several facilities, including the University of Hawaii's Cancer Research Center and Pacific Biomedical Research Center, and Queen's Medical Center.