CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Richard Seline, founder of New Economy Strategies, talked yesterday about the "Hawaii Life Sciences Innovation Road Map," a discussion on where the local life sciences industry is headed.

Biotech’s benefits touted

A new group forms to promote
the industry's growth in Hawaii

If Hawaii's business and political leaders have their way, the 50th state soon will be known for more than its weather and beaches.

"It will be sun, surf and science," said Richard Seline, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant who has been working with the newly formed Hawaii Life Sciences Council. "This is a place where scientists, entrepreneurs, technologists, venture capitalists and health care interests will see Hawaii as not just a place to ... sit at the swimming poll and talk about what's happening on the mainland, but to capture the essence of what will be the next generation of biotechnological sciences."

Seline was one of nearly 20 speakers yesterday at the "Hawaii Life Sciences Innovation Road Map" event at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki. The event, designed to provide an update on the state's life sciences industry, also featured Gov. Linda Lingle, state House Speaker Calvin Say and other local dignitaries and business leaders.

Tourism-dependent Hawaii, which has long talked about diversifying its economy, has an opportunity to make its footprint in the biotech industry with 68 percent of the global pharmaceutical companies outsourcing their services, according to Seline. Those companies are shipping out work in such areas as research, product development, preclinical testing, clinical trials, manufacturing and marketing.

Seline, chief executive of New Economy Strategies, projects that Hawaii could gain between 2,500 and 4,000 jobs in the human health area alone during the next five to seven years. He said the salary of those employees would average about $67,000, or twice the average of the state's top five traditional employment areas, such as tourism, retail and services.

The biotech industry would also bring health benefits, since Hawaii's population is aging at a faster rate than the rest of the country. The number of new cancer cases in the state will double to about 11,000 in 2030 from 5,500 today, according to Dr. Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, director of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.

"The Life Sciences Council will help attract people and will help in spinning off companies if we have developments from our own research," Vogel said.

Lisa Gibson, president of the Hawaii Life Sciences Council, said its mission is to help members collaborate and to promote education and community outreach. Other benefits of the council will be in attracting funding and qualified workers, council members said.

John Strom, vice president of economic development organization Enterprise Honolulu, said the Hawaii biotech industry can help with infectious and chronic diseases, digital medical arts, renewable energy and the use of natural resources such as plants, animals and marine biology.

"We have a unique situation and the timing is right because of this increase in the number of diseases and the aging of the population," Strom said. "We're an island nation and we need to be self-sustaining. And we have the very real need for clinical trials and for health care that have to be applied to more of a world body of people. We have a world body of people here."