The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism on April 10 recommended passage of HCR 156, a concurrent resolution requesting the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) increase its focus on advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity to diversify the economy and create higher‑wage jobs.

Sandy Kanemori and HTDC representatives testified in support. At the hearing they said the state’s local Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center — known in testimony as Innovate Hawaii and hosted locally for about 20 years — was recently discontinued by the federal National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). HTDC staff said that decision removed federal funding and affected five staff positions dedicated to manufacturing initiatives.

"We got notified by the federal NIST department that our Manufacturing Extension Partnership grama, locally called Innovate Hawaii, has been discontinued," HTDC representatives said. "We have been hosting the local Hawaii center for the past 20 years."

Committee members and witnesses discussed cybersecurity as a national and local priority, protecting data infrastructure and intellectual property, and the role of advanced manufacturing in supply‑chain resiliency. Senators said the resolution is intended to keep momentum and signal state support after the federal funding change.

The committee recorded its recommendation to pass HCR 156 as submitted.

No appropriation or specific implementation plan was provided in the excerpted testimony; HTDC and DBEDT testimony indicated the resolution is intended to refocus existing efforts and encourage other state departments to maintain advanced‑manufacturing activities.