REPORT TITLE:
Marine Bioproducts


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for the marine bioproducts engineering center
at UH Manoa.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1353 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                                 
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE MARINE BIOPRODUCTS ENGINEERING
   CENTER.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Hawaii has long relied on the ocean as an
 
 2 economic resource in the area of tourism.  Hawaii is also on the
 
 3 cusp of relying on the ocean as a multi-billion dollar source of
 
 4 revenue through marine bioproducts engineering.  The diversity of
 
 5 marine life indicates a myriad of new bioproducts to be
 
 6 discovered and commercially developed, and Hawaii is at the
 
 7 forefront of this research.
 
 8      In 1998, the University of Hawaii won National Science
 
 9 Foundation support for establishing the marine bioproducts
 
10 engineering center (MarBEC) to build the foundation for a marine
 
11 biotechnology business devoted to high-value products for the
 
12 chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, food, feed,
 
13 and life sciences industries.  The bioproducts targeted for
 
14 initial focus have an expanding multi-billion dollar market.
 
15      MarBEC combines innovative research with education, and key
 
16 engineering disciplines with modern marine and biological
 
17 sciences.  This multi-discipline engineering-science cooperative
 
18 effort is a joint venture between the University of Hawaii at
 
19 Manoa and the University of California at Berkeley, along with
 

 
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 1 three world-class national laboratories, Argonne National
 
 2 Laboratory, the Edgewood Research, Development, and Engineering
 
 3 Center, and the Eastern Regional Research Center of the U.S.
 
 4 Department of Agriculture, as well as Bishop Museum.  Future
 
 5 participants will include international centers of excellence in
 
 6 Asia and Europe.  The potential for the future is unlimited.
 
 7      Approximately thirty per cent of MarBEC's budget comes from
 
 8 the National Science Foundation, and another thirty per cent from
 
 9 industry.  The remainder comes from other federal agencies, the
 
10 host university, and state and other sources.  The purpose of
 
11 this Act is to appropriate the State's share of MarBEC funds for
 
12 the coming fiscal year.
 
13      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
14 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,720,000, or so much
 
15 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, to fund
 
16 the marine bioproducts engineering center.
 
17      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
18 University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
19      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
20 
 
21                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________