Several weeks ago readers of the Bangor Daily News were treated to an Op-Ed series of interesting and thoughtful essays on Maine’s economy on changes that will lead to a brighter future here. The suggestions dealt with taxes, education, environmental quality, and other issues that are central to our lives. Most of the ideas have considerable merit.

But one major topic – the need for a powerhouse research university – was almost completely neglected in those essays. A strong University of Maine is absolutely essential if Maine is to make headway in the rapidly changing national and global economy.

Our state has wonderful, conscientious, hard-working people. We have strong schools, safe communities, natural environments that are second to none, and a four-season climate that keeps life interesting. All of these give Maine real advantages in building an economy based on information and ideas. Intellectual capital will be the foundation for upcoming economic developments, even those that involve manufacturing or the traditional industries associated with natural resources. People who are highly educated and skilled at working with advanced technologies will design and produce the new products.

Highest priority must be placed on continuing the development of a major research university. Why is this investment so important? Because no state or region has ever created a vibrant, forward-looking economy without a strong research university at its heart.

Six years ago, Maine’s academic, community and legislative leaders initiated a process that has begun to enhance the research capacity of the University of Maine and several other public and private institutions in our state. The state expenditure in one-time support for new laboratories and equipment, and in ongoing support for key personnel and programs has begun to make a difference. Modest investments in the university quickly led to rapid increases in external funding – mostly in the form of grants from federal agencies whose role is to support basic and applied research in universities.

The University of Maine has increased its federal support from around $25 million to approximately $55 million in less than five years. Experience has proven that the university can generate nearly five dollars in federal grants for every dollar of state investment in its research capacity. Thus, greater support from the state will easily allow these impressive gains to continue, generating $100-120 million annually in federal funding within the next few years. That level of research activity will really make a difference in the institution and the region, and it can be accomplished with just $20 million in annual, ongoing, state investment – about twice what is now budgeted.

External research grants are important in several ways. First, they support research that leads to new knowledge, new innovations, new technologies, and new industries. Second, they support numerous students directly and indirectly by providing stipends and opportunities for first-hand involvement in cutting-edge research. Third, professors bring the latest advances into the classroom, to the benefit of many students who are not personally involved in the specific research activities. And of course the research funding provides significant direct support to many individuals and state businesses whose services are important components of the research endeavor.

We have already seen significant evidence of progress, even though the investments in research are still modest and too recent to have major economic consequences. Last week, President Peter Hoff opened and dedicated to the people of Maine a new biotechnology wing on Hitchner Hall, funded largely by a bond for research and development passed in 1998. Just a few weeks ago came the unveiling of Engineered Materials of Maine, a new company formed as an outgrowth of the Advanced Wood Composites research program led by Professor Habib Dagher and his research colleagues. This distinguished group of engineers and experts in forestry-wood technology has spent the past five years developing the leading laboratory of its kind in the country. In this case the commercial phase followed 18 months of work on the specific project.

Over the years, many dedicated scientists and hundreds of students have been involved. That is probably a good guide for what to expect from other research programs. In fields such as computer science and information technologies we might well see quick breakthroughs and rather rapid commercialization. But large, consistent payoffs require commitments to research that are sustained for decades. Notable successes such as Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Silicon Valley in California, or Route 128 in Massachusetts have resulted from planning and investments that began at least half a century ago.

A strong research university implies much more than simply sustained excellence in science and engineering. Research in the broadest and most important sense really means scholarship in all fields. The University of Maine is committed to enhancing its strengths in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, just as in advanced manufacturing or biotechnology. An understanding of history and international affairs has obvious benefits for anyone seeking to participate in today’s complicated world. University students and Maine citizens enjoy music and other performing arts in the excellent programs on campus at the Maine Center for the Arts and the Minsky Recital Hall. (Those who were there will long remember the recent chamber-music performance of Beethoven and Brahms by the Eroica Trio.)

The university’s Hudson Museum of Anthropology provides access to magnificent creations of prehistoric and modern cultures from the Americas. The University of Maine Art Museum, opening soon in downtown Bangor, will bring another rich creative dimension to our community. And that is just the beginning. A complete list of scholarly accomplishments that help us to understand and appreciate our world and its diverse cultures would go on for pages.

A powerhouse University of Maine is an essential part of our state’s bright future. Maine’s local, regional, and statewide leaders must remain committed to a healthy, long-term partnership involving the state, its communities, and its research university.

George L. Jacobson Jr. is professor of biological sciences and was, until recently, director of the Institute for Quaternary and Climate Studies at the University of Maine.