More than 100 people seeking jobs and information about Hawaii’s technology industry attended the 11th annual Holiday Science and Tech Fair yesterday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.

The event, organized by the Hawaii Technology Development Corp., drew about 25 technology companies, including the top contractors for the Honolulu rail project.

Bombardier and AECOM, two of the event’s lead sponsors, are ramping up hiring here for their work on the rail project, said Sandy Park, a program specialist at the HTDC. Other tech companies with booths at the fair included Sopogy, Oceanit, Navatek, Referentia Systems, NovaSol, Hoku Corp. and Adecco. The FBI also was there.

The HTDC, established by the Legislature in 1983, is the state agency tasked with developing Hawaii’s technology sector.

"We want to showcase Hawaii’s tech companies and make sure our youth know that there are opportunities here for them," Park said.

"High school students should know that they can pursue careers in technology. We work with the DOE (Department of Education) to get word out to schools," she said.

Hawaii has a host of home-grown technology companies, with expertise in areas such as animation, information technology, renewable energy and software design, Park said.

The fair is held in late December so college students and Hawaii expatriates living on the mainland who are home for the holidays can attend, she added.