Maine’s Technology Sectors and Clusters: Status and Strategy Maine Center for Business and Economic Research University of Southern Maine Battelle Technology Partnership Practice Battelle Institute Planning Decisions Inc Policy One Research Prepared for: Office of Innovation Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Maine Technology Institute March 2008 2 Table of Contents Authors and Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................5 List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................................6 List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................................7 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................9 1. Introduction: Transforming the Maine Economy....................................................................................23 1.1 An Introduction to the Concept of “Clusters”..................................................................................24 1.2 An Overview of the Report ..................................................................................................................26 2. Clusters: An Introduction.............................................................................................................................28 2.2 Basic Questions.......................................................................................................................................28 2.3 Generating and Diffusing Regional Knowledge................................................................................29 2,4 Entrepreneurship ....................................................................................................................................34 2.5 Summary...................................................................................................................................................34 3. Maine’s Research and Innovation Strengths..............................................................................................39 3.1 Data Overview.........................................................................................................................................39 3.2 Federal Research Grants Analysis........................................................................................................41 3.3 Publication Analysis................................................................................................................................43 3.4 Patent Analysis ........................................................................................................................................47 3.5 Analysis of Knowledge Clusters...........................................................................................................49 3.6 Connections between Maine’s Research and Innovation Strengths and Technology Sectors...57 3.7 Key Research Capacities in Maine........................................................................................................58 3.8 Summary...................................................................................................................................................60 4. The Foundation: Human Resources for Technology Innovation..........................................................62 4.1 Trends in the STEM Workforce in Maine..........................................................................................62 4.2 Educating the STEM Workforce in Maine.........................................................................................71 4.3 Summary...................................................................................................................................................77 5. Biotechnology.................................................................................................................................................81 5.1 Analysis....................................................................................................................................................81 5.2 Clusters .....................................................................................................................................................91 5.3 Economic Trends ...................................................................................................................................95 5.4 Summary..................................................................................................................................................98 6. Composites and Advanced Materials..........................................................................................................99 6.1 Analysis.....................................................................................................................................................99 6.2 Clusters ................................................................................................................................................. 102 6.3 Economic Trends ................................................................................................................................ 104 6.4 Summary............................................................................................................................................... 107 7. Environmental Technologies................................................................................................................... 109 7.1 Analysis.................................................................................................................................................. 109 7.2 Clusters .................................................................................................................................................. 115 7.3 Economic Trends ................................................................................................................................ 117 7.4 Summary............................................................................................................................................... 121 8. Forest Products and Agriculture............................................................................................................... 122 8.1 Analysis.................................................................................................................................................. 122 8.2 Clusters .................................................................................................................................................. 133 8.3 Economic Trends ................................................................................................................................ 135 8.4 Summary............................................................................................................................................... 141 9. Information Technology............................................................................................................................ 143 9.1 Analysis................................................................................................................................................. 143 9.2 Clusters ................................................................................................................................................. 148 9.3 Economic Trends ................................................................................................................................ 150 9.4 Summary................................................................................................................................................ 152 3 10. Marine Technology and Aquaculture .................................................................................................... 154 10.1 Analysis................................................................................................................................................ 154 10.2 Clusters ................................................................................................................................................ 158 10.3 Economic Trends .............................................................................................................................. 161 10.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 164 11. Precision Manufacturing.......................................................................................................................... 166 11.1 Analysis................................................................................................................................................ 166 11.2 Clusters ................................................................................................................................................ 169 11.3 Economic Trends .............................................................................................................................. 171 11.4 Summary.............................................................................................................................................. 176 12. Conclusions