Published by Bangor Daily News on June 19, 2026.
With its 5,300 miles of coastline, Maine’s connection to the sea has long been ingrained in the state’s psyche — and a linchpin of the state’s economy.
According to a 2025 consultant’s report, ocean-related industries contributed $6.8 billion to the state’s economy and accounted for more than 90,000 jobs in 2021. Yet, efforts to support those businesses have been “energetic but disorganized.”
With the launch of the Maine Center for the Blue Economy at the end of July, that could change.
The new entity, created by the Legislature, aims to leverage Maine’s clean ocean brand to foster jobs, investment, and new business ventures across a range of marine-based sectors. Establishing a state-sponsored economic development initiative focused on ocean-centered industry was the top recommendation of the Blue Economy Task Force, a group of industry, government and institutional stakeholders.
Maine is a latecomer to the “ocean cluster” movement. Rhode Island and Washington are among several states that have sponsored dedicated government initiatives, as have other countries, notably Canada and Iceland.
To replicate the success of ocean economy initiatives elsewhere, Maine’s Center for the Blue Economy will need to attract private and ultimately federal dollars to supplement its modest initial budget of $100,000, barely enough to hire a director and fund startup expenses.
“Innovation cannot move forward without [more] funding,” said Cem Giray, cofounder and CEO of Salmonics. The Brunswick-based biotechnology startup harvests blood from farm-raised salmon to make products used in research, diagnostics, and clinical applications.
“Its success will be determined by whether the center can support and sustain innovation by attracting and creating new investment opportunities for Maine companies,” he said.
Brian Whitney, the president of the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), will oversee the Center for the Blue Economy.
“Without question, additional resources will be needed if the effort is to be successful and sustained,” Whitney said.
The enabling legislation specifies that the center will serve as a “hub for coordinating research, commercialization, patenting, workforce development, and aligning government, industry, and academic efforts.”
“We’ve been working on the innovation ecosystem for a long time, and we’ve done pretty well on the innovation side of the equation,” said Sebastian Belle, who leads the Maine Aquaculture Association. “I’m not sure we’ve done as well as we should on the commercialization side.”
