Maine S&T Action Plan Outlines Goals for Capitalizing on Research

Since the 1990s, Maine has done an excellent job investing in R&D to establish a robust research capacity, but little has been done in terms of building a capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, according to the 2010 Science and Technology Action Plan. The report identifies three main strategies to position the state as a global competitor and create high-paying jobs and economic prosperity.

The roots of Maine’s investment in science and technology are traced back to a $20 million bond approved by voters in 1998 for R&D, which established the Maine Technology Institute, the Maine Economic Improvement Fund, the Advanced Technology Development Centers, and the Maine Patent Program. This support was continued with additional bond investments in 2003, 2005 and 2008. And while those investments have paid off in total R&D performance, the research is not being commercialized or connected to industry in a way that maximizes economic impact to the state, the report finds.

Three main strategies and several actions steps are described in the plan, which calls for $32 million annually to implement the recommendations, including:

• Increasing Maine’s total R&D by increasing R&D in the academic, nonprofit and private sectors. Recommendations include providing incentives to increase private R&D and increasing R&D performed at the state’s colleges, universities and nonprofit research institutions.
• Increasing employment by building innovation capacity. The report recommends aligning and integrating Maine’s innovation-based strategy with the state’s overall economic development strategy, recognizing that innovation has a critical role to play in making all enterprises more productive, efficient and competitive.
• Increasing per capita income by increasing the skills of Maine’s workers. Recommendations include increasing the supply of knowledgeable entrepreneurs who can successfully take products and processes to market through training and recruitment.

The plan, presented by the Department of Economic and Community Development Office of Innovation, was developed over the course of the last eight months and will be presented to the legislature and governor’s office in January.

A draft version is available at: http://www.maineinnovation.com/r&e/pdfs/October_28_Final_Draft_S&T_Plan.pdf