Technology
The PICHTR staff has a wealth of expertise in the commercialization of new technologies, business development, technology investment, federal initiatives, and other related aspects of bringing new technologies to market. Through mentoring, training, and commercialization assistance programs, we help companies navigate from startup to market entrance. We have helped hundreds of companies leverage government- and corporate-funded programs into successful business ventures.
Renewable Energy
A significant portion of PICHTR’s effort to develop new technologies is focused on renewable energy. PICHTR is helping Hawaii meet strict state government mandates to increase the use of renewable energy.
One example of PICHTR’s work in this area is the Energy Excelerator partnership with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO). Energy storage provider Stem was granted $1 million in funding to deploy a 1-megawatt battery storage pilot to demonstrate how distributed storage can help utility companies comply with Hawaii’s mandate to utilize 100% renewable energy by 2045. HECO believes distributed battery systems from providers like Stem can accelerate the integration of renewable energy sources into the electric grid.
Agriculture
In a state that imports the vast majority of its food and energy, agricultural innovation is a major focus area for Hawaii, and is an important component of the state’s economic diversification strategy. PICHTR has been involved with many agriculture-based initiatives, such as the Agriculture-based Remediation Program (ABRP) that provided entrepreneurs with the opportunity to network, develop strategic alliances, and leverage PICHTR experts to pursue agriculture-based activities (e.g., biomass energy, resource recovery systems).
PICHTR has also been involved with the Biosystems Technology Program (BTP), which was a joint program between the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program focused on developing environmentally preferable and responsible products and services derived from tropical plants and microorganisms, and the restoration of contaminated resources.
Disaster Preparedness
The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC) is a core project at PICHTR. The NDPTC recently completed a large-scale, nationwide survey to understand concerns about, and gaps in, current disaster preparedness. Survey respondents indicated the top three unmet training needs were related to natural disasters. These needs included risk assessment, mitigation, and response and recovery.
Survey respondents voiced concerns that the public is largely unprepared and has unrealistic expectations of the government’s capacity to respond to natural disasters. Many survey respondents advocated for the inclusion of non-governmental organizations in trainings, and to increase training around public communication and awareness.
Healthcare
As the U.S. population ages, healthcare is becoming an increasingly strategic issue that must be addressed. Healthcare is also an industry that aligns with PICHTR’s mission and expertise. PICHTR has supported numerous projects aimed at increasing accessibility to healthcare in Hawaii, and brining innovative healthcare solutions to market. One of PICHTR’s most prominent healthcare efforts was the Hawaii Health Information Exchange (Hawaii HIE). It was a non-profit initiative that brought together healthcare stakeholders in Hawaii to improve healthcare delivery throughout the state through a seamless and safe health information exchange.