Maine launches blue economy center to grow ocean jobs and innovation

A new state-backed center aimed at Maine’s ocean economy is set to open at the end of July, and the first local test is whether it can help Brunswick companies turn marine science into contracts, lab expansion and jobs. In Sagadahoc County, that means watching firms like Salmonics at Brunswick Landing to see whether the state’s latest economic-development push becomes a real commercial pipeline.

Maine’s ocean-related industries contributed $6.8 billion to the economy in 2021, supported more than 90,000 jobs and paid $4.2 billion in wages, according to state figures. Lawmakers created the Maine Center for the Blue Economy through LD 2216, which was enacted on April 16 and takes effect July 29. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Glenn Curry of Waldo, had bipartisan backing but also meaningful opposition, a sign that the center will be judged quickly on results rather than symbolism.

Brian Whitney, president of the Maine Technology Institute, will oversee the center. His role matters because MTI already works with Maine companies through grants, loans, equity investments and other support, putting the new center close to the state’s existing innovation-finance network. But the center’s initial budget is only $100,000, barely enough for startup costs and a director, which means its early success will depend on finding private backing and, eventually, federal support.

That financial squeeze is why Brunswick-based Salmonics stands out. The company says it was established in 2020 and is based at Brunswick Landing, where it harvests blood from farm-raised salmon to make products used in research, diagnostics and clinical applications. Co-founder and CEO Cem Giray has said innovation cannot move forward without more funding, a point that captures the challenge facing smaller marine biotech firms that need specialized equipment, skilled workers and steady capital before they can scale.

The center grew out of the Legislature’s blue economy planning process, including a 23-member task force and additional participants that lawmakers asked to define priorities for a statewide center and recommend workforce improvements. State materials say the task force concluded Maine lacked one consistent place to track blue-economy data and identified aquaculture and marine vegetation, marine biotechnology, marine transportation, fisheries, shipbuilding and tourism and recreation as sectors with high growth potential. For Brunswick and nearby communities in Sagadahoc County, the question now is whether that framework can deliver more than another layer of state structure, and whether it can help convert Maine’s ocean expertise into durable local business growth.