State tackles terrorism
Asia-Pacific event could
bring Hawaii homeland
safety opportunities
State officials said yesterday that an upcoming Asia-Pacific anti-terrorism summit, the first of its kind in the region, is part of a bigger strategy to spotlight Hawaii as a safe place -- catapulting it into a role as the so-called "Silicon Valley" of homeland security technology and training.
The inaugural Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition, scheduled Nov. 19-21 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, will demonstrate to the global market that Hawaii can be at the forefront for providing anti-terrorism expertise and services to countries in Asia and the Pacific Rim, said Ted Liu, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
"We want this to be the beginning of a relationship positioning Hawaii in the front-runner position of homeland security in the Asia-Pacific region. It's an unsurpassed opportunity for Hawaii," Liu said, comparing the state's potential for growth in the homeland security market with Silicon Valley, a former orchard region in Northern California that grew into a technological empire.
State officials see the summit, co-sponsored by the state Department of Defense and DBEDT, as a chance to capitalize on Hawaii's two biggest economic drivers: the U.S. military and tourism. DBEDT leaders said they hope combining government outreach with business initiatives and an anti-terrorism trade fair at the summit could help spur economic improvements to Hawaii's business, trade, commerce and tourism sectors.
If Hawaii becomes established as a training and testing ground for homeland security technologies, it also could have long-reaching economic impacts on tourism, said Dave Young, DBEDT spokesman.
"Hawaii could become a place where people can come and go with relaxed visas," Young said. "That means we can attract more foreign visitors by looking at other potential visitor markets."
Approximately 500 security and business leaders from throughout Asia, the Pacific Rim and the mainland are expected to attend the event where they will have an opportunity to develop solutions to public and private sector security threats, said Ray Jefferson, deputy director of DBEDT.
"Right now in Asia, there's a vacuum in regard to homeland security and there's a need for leadership," Jefferson said. "Hawaii is a place where private sector leaders from throughout Asia can come for expertise. They need technology and training to protect their businesses, ports and harbors."
Numerous Hawaii-based agencies engage the region in security, emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and health and bio-security issues and millions of dollars have been spent on military and defense-related research and development investments, he said.
Scheduled speakers at the summit include: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Pacific commander Adm. Tom Fargo, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan, former CIA director James Woolsey and retired Marine Lt. Gen. Hank Stackpole, head of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Many top U.S. and Asian government leaders, chief executive officers of multinational corporations, Homeland Security technology innovators and other distinguished leaders also are scheduled to attend the event.
After security leaders and business leaders from Asia, the Pacific Rim and the mainland come together at the summit, the hope is that they will view Hawaii as a neutral place where they can talk about sensitive topics related to anti-terrorism and where they can take advantage of significant homeland security assists such as the Pacific Command, the Center for Asia Pacific Security Studies, the East West Center and the Pacific Disaster Center, Liu said.
"No place is as suited to becoming the Geneva of the Pacific as Hawaii," Liu said. "The summit will help position in people's minds Hawaii as the place where they can hold high-level meetings and where they can get information about anti-terrorism consulting services, cyber security, chemical and biological warfare and infectious disease."
