Business in brief AUGUSTA: R&D CLIMBS IN MAINE

Two new reports indicate that investments aimed at growth of research and development in Maine are paying off. According to the Office of Innovation in the Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine now ranks 10th in the country in nonprofit R&D activity. R&D grants and contracts issued to Maine research organizations have increased 184 percent since 1996. Foundation gifts and awards have risen dramatically. In 1996, the state received 19 awards for less than a total of $2 million. In 2004, the number of awards rose to 109 and totaled more than $33 million. The most funding has been received by the University of Maine; the Maine Biomedical Research Fund that invests in Jackson Laboratory, the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, the University of New England and the Foundation for Blood Research; and the Maine Technology Institute, which invests in Maine-based businesses.