WSJ Tech News Briefing · Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Hawaii is attempting to diversify its economy beyond tourism by focusing on specialized tech industries like maritime technology, renewable energy, and aquaculture. State officials aim to create an 'ocean tech economy' by fostering startups that can leverage the islands' unique geographic position, despite challenges like high operational costs and population outflow.
“So officials right now are trying to take advantage of Hawaii's strengths. The fact that it is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean means that they have access to a lot of maritime technology and research.”
“So whereas there are states, you know, where you're having to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in a new industry to meaningfully change the structure of the economy, in Hawaii, maybe it's just a couple of really successful companies.”
“So the state's dependence on tourism has existed for a long time, but because tourism rose for decades in Hawaii, the fact that it didn't have a diverse economy never seemed like a real problem.”