Nonprofit cyber security agency MITRE recently opened a Honolulu office in an effort to "bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," officials with the company announced Wednesday.
MITRE's new office — which is located in Kakaako — opens after nearly 50 years of the company operating in Hawaii at Ford Island and Camp Smith.
The new office site will increase support to Hawaii and Indo-Pacific priorities of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the intelligence community, and international allies, according to MITRE officials.
“We’re immersed in nearly every aspect of global strategic competition — from countering aggressive military actions by adversary nations, to safeguarding supply chains, accelerating maritime research and innovation, and preparing for the next global health crisis,” said Keoki Jackson, senior vice president and general manager of MITRE National Security, in a statement.
MITRE also recently entered into a partnership with the University of Hawaii that will focus on collaborative analysis, engineering, and research. The partnership will also collaborate on advancing marine technology, enhancing cyber defense, strengthening climate resilience, addressing natural resource management, and testing new energy technologies.
“Our new facility in Honolulu, combined with new partners like the University of Hawaii, will strengthen our mission of solving problems for a safer world,” Jackson said.
According to MITRE officials, the company plans to double its workforce, advance local STEM education and internship opportunities, and expand its impact over the next three years.
“The University of Hawaii is pleased to enter into this new and exciting partnership with MITRE,” said Vassilis Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation, in a statement. “It provides UH with an excellent opportunity to apply our multidisciplinary research strengths to solve real-world problems surrounding national security, while at the same, helping to further develop a knowledge-based economic sector in the state.”
As part of its national security work, MITRE operates the Department of Defense’s National Security Engineering Center. The agency also helps military and intelligence organizations make wise investments, connect the innovation community to mission needs, and enable technology deployment to protect service and civilian personnel.
“With our work across six federally funded R&D centers and more than 200 individual labs, we have a unique vantage point across the federal and technology landscapes,” Jackson stated. “MITRE is naturally suited to connect organizations and provide trusted, objective and data-driven advice to government and industry on the most critical and complex global challenges.”
