Northern Forest Bioeconomy Regional Growth Cluster

Coalition Lead Applicant: University of Maine System

Region (applicant-defined): Maine

Cluster Sector(s): Natural Resources

Coalition Overarching Narrative (applicant submitted) (PDF)

Project Description:
The coalition led by the University of Maine System, a subset of Forest Opportunity Roadmap / Maine (FOR/Maine), seeks to grow the forest bioeconomy cluster to advance Maine as the leader of bio-based materials and application. The coalition aims to provide an opportunity for rural, distressed communities in the Northeast to build back better, cleaner, and greener through strategic investment, building on Maine’s oldest resource and a heritage industry, transforming it through the next generation of forest bioproducts. Coalition members include leaders from industry, education, workforce and community development, and state government as well as community-based organizations serving historically excluded populations. The coalition’s goals include cluster coordination; engagement and leadership; creating welcoming, resilient and sustainable communities; industrial sites reenergized and redeveloped; preparing Maine's workforce for the future; strategic investment and market attraction; forest biomaterials innovation center; Green Engineering and Materials (GEM) Laboratory; and stimulating bioproducts supply chains by accelerating public procurement.

Finalist Showcase Presentation