Despite the better-than-average performance of Hawaii inventors last year, the state still ranks relatively low in terms of patents awarded per capita, at one-third the national average, said Honolulu patent attorney Leighton Chong. Hawaii averages about 0.1 patents per 1,000 residents compared with 0.3 patents per 1,000 nationally.

Chong said Hawaii historically has not been able to fulfill its potential to develop home-grown intellectual property.

"Local technology companies need to have someone in-house who is cognizant of the value of their IP assets and how to develop them," Chong said, using the abbreviation for "intellectual property."

Chong is leading an effort to have the U.S. Patent Office establish a satellite office in Honolulu, which he estimates would generate 100 to 300 "high-paying" examiner jobs.

The Patent Office, headquartered in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Va., said recently that it plans to open its first satellite office in Detroit in July. Patent Office officials said they hope to follow up the Detroit location with two other satellite offices, but no locations have been set. The Patent Office is soliciting comments from the public for possible locations. Jan. 30 is the deadline to comment.

Chong said he worked with other patent attorneys and the Hawaii Technology Development Venture on a proposal to the Patent Office to have Honolulu considered for one of the offices.

"If we can get a satellite office here, it would be the single biggest employer of tech graduates in Hawaii," he said.

Hawaii has a large and ethnically diverse pool of science and engineering graduates, many of whom end up moving to the mainland because they can’t find work in the state, Chong said in a letter he sent to U.S. Patent Office officials on Jan. 4. Many of those seeking "high-level technical employment" would move back to Hawaii if there were a suitable "high-level technical job" available, such as a patent examiner, he said.

"Hawaii has strong technology competencies and assets in biotech, agriculture tech, ocean and earth sciences, telemetry, communications, dual-use defense technologies, astronomy and renewable energy," Chong wrote.

Although Honolulu does have some things working in its favor, it is not one of the cities being seriously considered by the Patent Office for the satellite program, said Darin Gibby, a Denver patent attorney and author of the recently published book "Why Has America Stopped Inventing?"

Gibby’s law firm, Kilpatrick Townsend, is leading Denver’s effort to bring a satellite patent office there. Gibby said he has been told that Denver, Austin, Texas, and a location in Silicon Valley are top prospects on the Patent Office’s list.

"The No. 1 thing the Patent Office is looking for is experienced technical people who can become examiners. Denver has several universities that will offer training classes, which is a big draw. Austin is a huge tech center, and Silicon Valley speaks for itself," Gibby said.

Patent Office officials also are looking for places that are desirable to live, which would help Honolulu’s cause, he said. However, the city would not rank high enough in other areas to be considered a contender, Gibby said.