For Ian Kitajima, president of Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, his 2024 goals include “finding and aligning with the best people in the Asia-Pacific Region.”
“We need to think big, dream big and go big, and run a lot of experiments,” Kitajima told Pacific Business News.
Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, or PICHTR, is a nonprofit that brings people and organizations together from across four sectors: business, technology, education and community/culture, Kitajima said. Offerings include contract management, customized training and consulting, as well as helping Hawaii entrepreneurs secure funding, develop technologies and bring those technologies to market, according to PICHTR’s website.
“We believe we can help Hawaii become a nexus of innovation by creating partnerships in entrepreneurship, energy, agriculture and technology that foster collaboration between Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, the Pacific Islands, Australia and others in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “We are the ‘X’ or the multiplier that amplifies and enables opportunities to become a reality.”
Prior to joining PICHTR in January 2023, Kitajima was the director of corporate development at Oceanit for more than 21 years, while simultaneously co-founding three venture startups, the website noted.
He currently serves on the boards of Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, University of Hawaii Alumni Association and the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs.
Tell me about PICHTR. [PICHTR] was founded nearly 40 years ago in 1985 to facilitate U.S.-Japan joint research programs. During this time, PICHTR has had a track record of “firsts,” including the launch of the Hawaii Technology Development Venture – one of the country’s first dual-use defense incubators, which later spawned and spun off the Elemental Excelerator, a globally recognized climate tech incubator based here in Hawaii. PICHTR’s board and leadership have included former UH President Dr. Fujio Matsuda, former Gov. George Ariyoshi, Colbert Matsumoto, Duane Kurisu, and other community-minded business leaders.
What does PICHTR do? The organizations [that] come to us are headed into new territory. They want to start the process of doing something different that changes the future but can’t take big risks. By partnering, we help organizations run experiments that allow everyone to go faster and farther than if we went alone. For example, we are working on the 2024 Pacific ClimateTech Partnership gathering Feb. 5-6. ...The J-StarX Dual Use program, funded by the Japanese government, will bring five Japanese technology companies to Hawaii for a two-week program to learn about doing business with the U.S. government. ... We have workforce-related programs with the [U.S.] Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor, focused on wastewater disposal and projects to support Japanese companies for partnerships and collaborations with Hawaii companies.
What is the greatest challenge you have faced recently? Figuring out where we uniquely add value in the world. ... We are asking ourselves hard questions such as, “How do I need to change? How can we scale our impact? How do I replace myself?”
What are some trends to watch in the tech industry? Artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and autonomy are obvious ones, and PICHTR is involved with several related projects. The less obvious trends are in the rise of the citizen scientist, and agtech/food 2.0. Affordable technology and software platforms will allow us to launch a Student Climate Simulation & Change Lab, where students using environmentally-controlled growing chambers can simulate Hawaii’s climate, for example in the year 2124, and bring the future to the present.
How would you describe your leadership style? I [have] more of a situational leadership style, where I adapt to the situation at hand. ... I like creating new things/movements but eventually have to allow the team to make it their own, and step back, which can be hard but is necessary. ... I never go alone, I always have partners, because when you do truly new things, there is no road map, and it’s easy to get lost. So, to go faster, and farther, we partner inside and outside the organization. Let’s work together!
Ian Kitajima
President, Pacific International Center for High Technology Research
Address: 1440 Kapiolani Blvd. #1225, Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: 808-943-9581
Website: pichtr.org
