Maine Blue Economy Week

Maine DECD Commissioner Michael Duguay, and leaders from GMRI, Bigelow Laboratory, UMaine, and the Roux Institute

Perspectives on the Balance Between Heritage and Emerging Industries

Maine's blue economy is rapidly evolving. By examining economic and innovation indicators alongside perspectives from industry leaders across key sectors, this presentation shares insights into the movement of capital and resources defining the landscape for heritage and emerging blue economy industries.

As Maine advances a more coordinated strategy for blue economy development, this panel brings together leaders from across North America who have helped build and sustain thriving ocean and blue tech ecosystems. Grounded in real-world experience, panelists will share what it takes to align industry, research, and government; what's worked (and what hasn't); and how these efforts are supported at state, national, and international levels. The session explores lessons and models that can inform Maine's next phase of growth.

Moderator:
Amanda Rector, Maine State Economist

Panelists:
Kristy Clement (Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation), Jennifer Downing (New Bedford Ocean Cluster), Chris Cary (New England Ocean Cluster)

Startup founders deliver fast-paced 5×5 pitches on their work.

Workforce Development — Building Maine's Blue Economy Workforce: Where Are We Now? 

This panel examines the current blue economy workforce landscape in Maine, highlighting successful training models and opportunities to better align education, workforce programs, and industry needs. Panelists bring perspectives from education, industry, and K-12 pathways to ground the broader workforce development conversation.

Policy & Investment — How We Fund Innovation in the Blue Economy

Maine's blue economy capital stack is broad but shallow: abundant small public awards, very few equity deals, and a documented gap where companies need to raise money for growth. This opening session will explore that landscape from the perspectives of a founder who has assembled capital across grants, SBIR, and a corporate merger, a mission lender writing loans that conventional banks won't underwrite for fisheries and aquaculture businesses, and the leader of a mature ocean technology cluster in Atlantic Canada, where public co-investment plays a central role.

Research & Innovation – Activate the Research: Practical Strategies for Academia-Industry Deal Flow

This interactive breakout will discuss academia-industry innovator collaborations in Maine.  The discussion will identify successful models for translating university research to industry innovators and entrepreneurs, and highlight actions to expand capacity of early TRL 'investors' for dealflow. 

Research & Innovation — Trending Blue: Emerging Sectors, Research Gaps, and the Path to Market Fit

The blue economy is evolving fast — but are research and investment keeping pace? This panel brings together leaders from ocean tech, research, and venture communities to explore the fastest-growing sectors in the blue economy, the research trends driving them, and where gaps remain between academic expertise and market-ready innovation. Panelists will discuss how researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors can better collaborate to move promising science toward real-world impact — and what it will take to close the gap between discovery and market fit.

Policy & Investment — Designing the Future of Innovation Finance in Maine

Maine is uniquely poised to be a global leader in the blue economy. To unlock future growth, we'll need to leverage the full breadth of policy tools at our disposal. This discussion explores what practices have worked elsewhere and what techniques are underutilized here, with participants working alongside panelists to design solutions for the next generation of blue economy growth in Maine. 

Workforce Development — Needed Skills and Barriers in the Blue Economy Workforce

This interactive session engages participants in identifying the skills employers across Maine's blue economy need, where barriers and gaps exist, and what training models or programs could better support workforce development across sectors. Facilitated discussion and audience input will help clarify priority skills, pathway challenges, and opportunities to strengthen workforce development.

Wind down from Day 1 with a sunset tour of Casco Bay. Connect with colleagues, catch up on the day’s discussions, and build new relationships in a relaxed, scenic setting. Refreshments provided.