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Sponsored by: Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Updated: July 27, 2020 2020 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Redevelopment 2.0: Brunswick Landing

Photo / Courtesy Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Clamar Floats, maker of composites floats for seaplanes, moved into TechPlace in 2018. The company relocated from Canada to take advantage of Brunswick Landing’s growing aerospace and composites sectors.

It’s hard to believe nearly a decade has passed since the Brunswick Naval Air Station closed.

In nine years, many goals for redevelopment at the former Navy base—now called Brunswick Landing, Maine’s Center for Innovation—have been met or exceeded, driven by the growth of technology-based businesses in aerospace, bioscience, advanced materials, education, information technologies and renewable energy. Nearly 140 businesses, collectively employing over 2,300 people in good-paying jobs, have located at Brunswick Landing. Over 60% never existed in Maine previously.

“In delivering on the promise articulated in our Reuse Master Plan, we’re all about capturing the future with this redevelopment,” said Steve Levesque, Executive Director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA). “Building on that vision, we continue to embrace new waves of technology to support the growth of Maine’s innovation economy.”

A major factor in moving from Massachusetts to Maine was Brunswick Landing’s unusual flexibility and receptivity to our R&D in aerospace.

— Sascha Deri, CEO/Founder bluShift Aerospace


In addition to the target sectors above, Brunswick Landing’s infrastructure is ideal for supporting growth and development of cutting-edge industries including, but not limited to: NewSpace technologies, 5G communications, electric microgrid, and unmanned aerial and other autonomous systems.

“We’re not just an aspirational outfit anymore,” Levesque said. “We’re delivering on the brand promise. The excitement generated by companies that have set up shop here is building on itself. The message is getting out: This is the place to be if you want to develop and grow a successful and innovative tech-oriented business.”

Brunswick Landing is booming. Four buildings are under construction, including Martin’s Point Health’s 55,000-square-foot medical office building and more than 25,000 square feet of space for Wild Oats Bakery & Café, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Bar Harbor Bank. The sprawling campus includes the 1,000-acre Brunswick Executive Airport, Southern Maine Community College’s Midcoast Campus, TechPlace manufacturing incubator, 1,200 acres of recreational and open space, and over 300 units of housing with another 250 in the development and planning stages.

Future Technology Drives Growth

Photo / Courtesy bluShift Aerospace]
Sascha Deri, founder and CEO of bluShift Aerospace, lugs a rocket from the test site at his company’s R&D facility at Brunswick Landing. bluShift is designing and manufacturing a rocket engine that runs on a sustainable fuel and be used for rockets carrying cube satellites into low earth orbit

Since its inception, MRRA has focused on attracting aerospace business to utilize the world-class aviation complex along with supporting industries such as composites and advanced materials. Life sciences, education, IT and clean tech are also important sectors at Brunswick Landing. MRRA will continue to market to target industries while also branching into new sectors that will support the growth of Maine’s economy.

“It’s important for MRRA to stay on the cutting edge of technological advances,” Levesque said.

Accordingly, the following new initiatives have been incorporated in MRRA’s 2020/21 Strategic Business Plan:

  • Brunswick Landing will be a comprehensive campus-wide smart microgrid, with capability for energy storage and islanding.
  • Brunswick Landing will have a dedicated biotech/life science incubator within five-years.
  • Brunswick Executive Airport will be Maine’s premier site for aerospace research and development and unmanned aircraft systems.
  • Brunswick Landing will become the 5G Center of Excellence and R&D for Maine.
  • Brunswick Landing will serve as a key element in Maine’s Spaceport initiative.

Many of these initiatives are already underway. Brunswick Landing is home to two NewSpace companies – bluShift Aerospace and VALT Enterprises. Both companies are working to design and manufacture rockets and rocket engines.

There are three UAS entities – Captive Drone Technologies, UMaine Augusta UAS, and Nobleheart Products, and six biotech businesses – Molnlycke Health Care, Sterizign, The Maine Extraction, All Natural Technologies, Thrivant Health, and InSphero.

And MRRA, which inherited the Navy’s power infrastructure, is in the process of becoming a utility. It’s well on its way to operating a microgrid with over 60% of electricity requirements generated on the property via a 1.5 MWdc solar PV installation and a 1 MW biogas/anaerobic digester. MRRA is working with several companies on setting up a 5G network that would provide a platform for 5G research and development.

This is Redevelopment 2.0 at Brunswick Landing—a bold set of new initiatives that will drive the next decade of growth at Maine’s Center of Innovation.

Brunswick Landing, Maine’s Center for Innovation

15 Terminal Road, Brunswick, ME 04011

Steve Levesque, Executive Director
Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
207-798-6512, stevel@mrra.us

www.mrra.us