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October 20, 2008

Money trail | A look at how recent grants from the Maine Technology Institute may affect the Maine economy

By Mindy Favreau

On Sept. 29, the Maine Technology Institute handed out three Cluster Enhancement Awards totaling $430,000 that helped generate an additional $1.4 million in matching funds from outside sources, according to a press release from MTI. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland and the Maine Pulp and Paper Association in Augusta received $200,000 each, and the Foster Regional Applied Technology Center in Farmington received $30,000. Here’s a rundown of each organization’s projects:

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute will use its $200,000 award, plus $350,000 in outside funding, to help Maine fisheries pursue sustainable harvesting certification. GMRI will work with local fisheries, aquaculture companies and retailers like Scarborough-based Hannaford Bros. Co. to market Maine seafood as sustainable and to help the businesses compete with their European and Alaskan counterparts.

Using its $200,000 grant and more than $800,000 in matching funds, the Maine Pulp and Paper Association will conduct a study of bio-energy possibilities in Maine and Canada’s Maritime provinces. The study, led by the Atlantica Bio-Energy Task Force, will review existing forest resources and determine the potential for bio-energy, bio-chemical and other bio-products for the region’s economy. MPPA will also hold a roundtable with industry leaders in Canada and an R&D summit in Maine later this year.

The Foster Applied Technology Center will use its $30,000 to develop a model composites facility and curriculum for high schools by April 2009. The project includes an outreach program to other schools and the community college system that will use a mobile composites learning lab to help train the workforce on the composites manufacturing processes.

 

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