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Gov. Janet Mills announces R&D bond awards to 23 Maine companies
Summary
Gov. Janet Mills announced that 23 Maine businesses and research organizations will receive awards funded by a $25 million R&D bond approved by voters, saying the grants—matched by more than $718 million in private funding—will support job creation and innovation across nine counties.
Gov. Janet Mills announced this week that 23 Maine businesses and research organizations will receive awards funded by a $25 million R&D bond approved by voters.
Mills, the governor of Maine, said the awards were selected after a process administered by the Maine Technology Institute and will fund companies in nine counties that are developing new products and technologies to compete globally.
The announcement came as Mills highlighted recent gains in innovation investment in the state. "R and d spending in Maine has increased by 24%," she said, characterizing the increase as progress toward the goals in her 10‑year economic development plan. Mills said she signed legislation to increase the state's share of R&D spending until it reaches the national average and endorsed the $25 million bond that voters approved.
Mills named several recipients and how they plan to use the funds: Blue Shift Aerospace in Brunswick will use its award to continue manufacturing rockets and support spaceflight work; Lyman Morse Boatbuilding in Thomaston will build an advanced composite center with state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing equipment; Robins Lumber in Searsmont will invest in converting lower‑value wood into higher‑value finished boards; and Marin Company in South Portland will build a laboratory to meet demand for skin‑care products made with chemical compounds derived from lobsters. All examples were given by Mills in the announcement.
Mills said the $25 million in state funding provided by the bond is being matched by more than $718 million in private‑sector funding and said the awards "will create and sustain thousands of good jobs" across Maine. Those projections and the private‑funding figure were presented by the governor; the transcript does not include independent verification of job counts or a vote tally for the bond measure.
The governor said the state is now distributing the bond funds to the selected companies. The announcement concluded with Mills thanking listeners.
