Maine task force proposes Blue Economy Center, seeks federal grants and workforce support
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Summary
A bipartisan Blue Economy Task Force urged creation of a lean state Blue Economy Center to compile data, coordinate stakeholders and attract investment; members proposed housing it at the Maine Technology Institute and estimated an initial operating budget of $500,000–$1,000,000 a year.
Sen. Jill Dusan introduced the Blue Economy Task Force’s final report to the Maine House Committee on Marine Resources, telling lawmakers the work aims to align economic growth with sustainable ocean management.
Mike Conathan, managing director of Upwell Collaborative, told the committee the task force’s two reports estimate Maine’s ocean economy contributes roughly $7,000,000,000 to state GDP and supports about 90,000 jobs. He said the group recommends a Blue Economy Center focused on three pillars: measuring and modeling the sector’s size and growth; coordinating the state’s disparate ocean stakeholders; and supporting innovation to attract federal, philanthropic and private investment.
Conathan said the task force recommends housing the center at the Maine Technology Institute to leverage existing life-sciences and innovation work, and proposed a conservative startup budget of $500,000 to $1,000,000 annually, “basically to fund one full‑time employee to manage the work of the center and do affiliated efforts.”
Charlie Colgan, director of research for the Center for the Blue Economy, emphasized sustainability as central to the blue‑economy concept and urged that economic development be linked to conservation and fisheries management.
Committee members asked whether the center would help Maine compete for federal awards. Conathan said many states that have won recent large grants organized as consortia with a single point of contact; a Blue Economy Center could play that convening role. He noted that without a coordinating entity, Maine has repeatedly lost competitive federal opportunities.
Why it matters: supporters say a central data and coordination hub could help Maine win national grants and streamline workforce development across aquaculture, marine research, propulsion and other sectors. Critics and skeptical lawmakers asked how new state funding would be allocated while protecting legacy fisheries and waterfront uses.
What’s next: the task force’s proposals are being aligned with pending legislation and a $50 million innovation bond (LD 506) discussed elsewhere in the session. Dusan and task‑force members urged continued collaboration among legislative committees and state agencies to refine authorizing language.