State Leaders Meet to Address Hawaii’s Aerospace Industry
Our State Capitol will serve as the launch pad for the 2013 “Hawaii Aerospace Summit,” scheduled for October 8th.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to get engaged, informed and involved in the future of Hawaii’s aerospace industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui, who serves as the vice chair of the Aerospace States Association. “The aerospace industry has the potential to provide our state with high-paying jobs and play a role in STEM education programs.”
“During this event, state lawmakers will meet with local aerospace companies, academia, and the military to discuss aviation and space research programs in Hawaii,” said Rob Kelso, Executive Director of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES). “We also hope to map out a vision of the State’s aerospace industry that will help diversify the State’s economic portfolio.”
A broad range of public and private sector representatives including:
Elliot Pulham, Space Foundation CEO and Hawaii Aerospace Advisory Committee Chair, George Abbey, Former NASA Johnson Space Center Director and Fellow in Space Policy at the Baker Institute at Rice University, and Bruce Blankenfeld, Lead Navigator and Vice-Chair of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Board of Directors will serve as panelists to address five main topics:
• Space Transportation
• Unmanned Aerial Systems/Next-Generation Aviation
• Advanced Communications, Energy, and Manufacturing
• Aerospace Education and Training
• International Initiatives for Space Exploration
The Aerospace Summit will be free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. For additional information and to register for this event, log on to http://aerospacehawaii.info/2013-hawaii-aerospace-summit.
The Summit is being sponsored by the Office of the Lt. Governor, the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, the House Committee on Economic Development and Business, the Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development, and the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES).
For more information, contact:
Jim Crisafulli, Research & Development Coordinator, Office of Aerospace Development
Phone: (808) 586-2388
Email: jcrisafu@dbedt.hawaii.gov