ELECTION SPECIAL — 2007
Research and Development will stimulate
economic development and job creation
By Ramona du Houx
The bond package-Question Two on the ballot-is
uniquely different from past R&D investments, because it's targeted to specific areas
of growth. These "cluster areas" were identified by the Governor's Council on
Jobs, Innovation and the Economy last spring. These areas have already shown growth, but
they lack needed investment that would establish them firmly in the global economy.
"What the cluster grant will do is put a pool of
money on the table. Industry sectors will come together and apply for the money and
identify what they can do to produce jobs through their particular sector," said John
Oliver of LL Bean, who is a member of the governor's Jobs, Innovation and the Economy
Council. "The cluster development grant with R&D bonds represents the core of a
business plan for Maine, an exciting, focused direction for economic development. It's the
strategic focus we need to move forward in the global economy."
The grants will be awarded in a competitive process
overseen by the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), which is a private nonprofit. According
to the Center for Business and Economic Research report, employment in MTI-funded
companies surveyed has risen by 6.2 percent, compared with 0.9 percent for the Maine
economy as a whole, between 2001 and 2006.
"We know investments in research and development
will bring in high-quality jobs," said John Richardson, commissioner of the
Department of Economic and Community Development. "We've had great success in
spin-off companies in the past, and we need to sustain and continue that growth. Maine is
a state of small companies which often don't have the resources they need to conduct
R&D on their own. With the help of MTI, they can partner with research facilities here
in the state. MTI-backed companies grow six times faster and earnings are 30 percent
greater."
The state has proven the process works. Over four years
ago, the Department of Economic and Community Development worked with Maine's boat
builders to help create - Maine Boat Builders. MBB found that marketing together in the
global economy is more productive than seeing other Maine boat builders solely as
competitors. They also identified that they needed more trained workers in welding and
building with composites.
For the past 12 years, advances in composite technology
that can make structures lighter, stronger, and faster have been developed at the
University of Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites (AEWC) Center. These new
technologies are being used by MBB members and have inspired entrepreneurs to start new
businesses utilizing the technology. The use of composites has given many MBB members a
competitive edge.
The state developed a working model for how bond funds
would best benefit companies and help the economy grow when they brought MBB, the DECD,
the labor department, educators, industry leaders, and others together under governor
Baldacci's leadership to form the North Star Alliance. As a result, Maine led the list of
grant recipients, and the state was awarded a $15 million WIRED grant.
"The experience of the North Star grant in helping
build the boatbuilding cluster has given Maine a map of how to go about successful
development of other clusters," said Richardson. "The bond proposals and future
commitments made by the legislature in R&D are critical for our overall strategy of
diversifying our economy to accommodate the needs of the 21st century and so that young
people will have more opportunities."
"Maine has the promise inside our state to grow
with already established businesses. A cluster will gather similar businesses together -
which gives it momentum," said Karen Mills, chair of the Council on Jobs, Innovation
and the Economy. "As part of our study, we also examined the state's capacity to
bond. Some projections indicate the state could afford $500 million of new bonds."
The cluster seed money in the R&D bond package could
potentially create more than 2,000 jobs.
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