UH takes over Maui supercomputer

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

KIHEI, Maui — The University of Hawai'i took control of one of the world's most powerful supercomputers yesterday, raising the university's profile in high-technology research and creating a potential magnet for high-tech firms wanting to move to Maui.

"There's a real opportunity to diversify the economy of Maui. It'll be Silicon Island," said UH President Evan Dobelle following a blessing at the Maui High Performance Computing Center.

In May, the Air Force awarded the university a four-year contract to operate the center, home to the second-most powerful computer in the Department of Defense.

The contract, which started yesterday, can be extended for up to 10 years based on performance and has a potential value of $181 million. That makes it the largest single-contract award in UH history.

The contract also provides UH with opportunities to work with top defense researchers.

Maj. Raley Marek, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory Detachment that oversees the contract, said the center likely will take on a growing importance in the defense of the country. He said the center probably will help figure out how to combat terrorism, develop ballistic missile defense systems and protect America's assets in space.

The center helps the Air Force conduct research and development, and makes unused space available for other research.

Maui County Mayor James "Kimo" Apana said the center will prove that Maui is more than sun and surf. "It'll show this is a place where you can do serious business," he said.

UH will operate the center with the support of Science Applications International Corp. and Rocketdyne Technical Services, a Boeing subsidiary. The Ohio Supercomputing Center, New Mexico Tech and Textron also will provide support.

The university beat out a competing bid by the University of New Mexico, which had managed the center since its creation in the early 1990s. Most of the staff is expected to stay on.