Recently there have been several articles emphasizing the importance of increasing the number of college graduates in Maine. A major factor in attracting such individuals to this area is the presence of high-technology units, both industrial and academic.

Throughout the world, the primary birthplace of such units is the graduate schools of universities, primarily in high-tech areas, such as basic physics, chemistry and biotechnology. Silicon Valley would not exist without the graduate schools of Stanford University. Strengthening such units is probably the single most effective way to attract such individuals.

To illustrate this point, the investment in biotechnology research in 1994 was $37.1 billion By 2003 this had increased to $94.3 billion.

Maine has major assets in this area with several units such as The Jackson Memorial Laboratory being world famous in biotechnology.

Developing strong graduate and post-graduate programs in cooperation with these units would be a potent factor in attracting such units to Maine.

Arthur J. Weiss, M.D.

Little Deer Isle