Report touts technology clusters for Maine

Maine’s effort to grow a more technology-intensive economy is well under way, according to a report released Tuesday by the Maine Technology Institute and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

The report, titled “Maine’s Technology Sectors and Clusters: Status and Strategy,” summarizes the state’s potential, emerging and sustainable technology “clusters.” The report defines clusters as “a collection of knowledge, skills and innovation that reside in a particular area and spread by networks to stimulate entrepreneurship and lead to new products and services that in turn generate economic growth.”

Examples of established and sustainable Maine clusters include cultured fish and shellfish, environmental and civil engineering services, forest harvesting and management, pulp and paper, and crop and soil science.

Genetic research, geographic information systems and diagnostic biomedical materials were some of the emerging clusters listed in the report. New media, green products and biomedical research are called potential clusters.

“I think it confirms what we’ve been seeing more anecdotally, that there’s a great deal of vibrant clusters here in Maine in our technology sectors,” said Betsy Biemann, president of the Maine Technology Institute. “There are some that are more developed than others. We’re excited because we’re going to expand our cluster-building efforts.”

The Maine Technology Institute is a state and federally funded organization that provides grants to technology-based businesses and for research and development. To help promote the development of clusters, MTI offers competitive Cluster Enhancement Awards of up to $200,000 to stimulate and support new and growing technology businesses.

“We have very good data showing return on investment. Our most recent [evaluation] showed $18 of return per dollar awarded,” Bieman said.

Expanding on a 2002 report on clusters, the report was funded by the Maine Technology Institute and the state Office of Innovation. It was conducted by the Maine Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Southern Maine in collaboration with the Battelle Institute, Planning Decisions Inc. and PolicyOne Research Inc.

The 2006 Brookings Institution report also designated clusters as a key to economic development.

While the report noted the need for more workers with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner John Richardson said in a prepared statement “there is real potential for growth in many key markets, even traditional industries like forest products and agriculture. Creating and seizing opportunities particularly through cluster development may be a long road, but one on which Maine has a respectable start and commitment to travel.”

The 200-page report and its summary are available at MTI’s Web site, www.mainetechnology.org, and the Office of Innovation’s Web site, www.maineinnovation.com.