GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gov. Ben Cayetano and University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle
separated a maile lei yesterday in a ceremony to hand over control
of the Maui supercomputer to UH, part of a 10-year, $181 million
contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

UH gets Maui
supercomputer contract

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

KIHEI, Maui >> Gov. Ben Cayetano and other government dignitaries celebrated the University of Hawaii becoming a major player in computer technology yesterday.

The university took over operation of the Maui supercomputer. The $181 million, 10-year contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory is expected to generate more high-technology jobs in Hawaii and enhance research in computer sciences at the University of Hawaii.

State officials say the contract will also enable the university to work closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory in developing a curriculum for Maui Community College.

The university was selected over the University of New Mexico, which had the contract since 1994.

The $181 million is the largest single contract award in university history, and the Maui supercomputer is one of the top 20 most powerful computers in the world, state officials note.

Cayetano said the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast and the Gulf War underscores the need for a diversified economy in Hawaii.

"The University of Hawaii is now a much more serious player in the defense of this country," he said.

Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana, whose administration provided a $50,000 grant to develop the successful proposal, said the Valley Isle is known as a place for fun and recreation and should be known also as a place for serious research.

"This is just another block in building that image," Apana said.

Evan Dobelle, president of the University of Hawaii, said the contract will also enhance the quality of education through internships and an exchange of ideas on Maui, similar to Stanford in California's "Silicon Valley."

"This is really a big deal," Dobelle said. "It could be a Silicon Island."

Dobelle said he foresees University of Hawaii professors being employed on some projects and the university entering into partnerships with other colleges, such as Stanford.

Eugene Bal, executive director of the university computing center, said he plans to increase the staff to 72 from 60.

Bal said the computing center services about 50 clients, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Aeronautic and Space Administration.

He said that, starting yesterday, the center expanded its hours of operation to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from an eight-hour workday, five days a week.

Maj. Raley Marek, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, said he sees new opportunities for research and development, with the country embarking in anti-terrorist measures and missile defense.

"There's a big shift in what's going on in the Department of Defense," Marek said.

The supercomputer has been used to enhance and identify space images taken from Air Force space surveillance facilities on Haleakala.

The center is the prime tenant at the 330-acre Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei.