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The ɫ����Ƶhelped kick start a strategic partnership that will be vital to not only Maine’s but the nation’s marine economy by signing a letter of intent for a sponsorship agreement with the New England Ocean Cluster House.

The agreement includes developing an incubator of marine-related businesses and researchers on Portland’s waterfront, modeled after a similar Iceland Ocean Cluster House in Reykjavik, Iceland. The New England Ocean Cluster House’s intended location is the second floor of the Maine state Pier transit shed. Patrick Arnold, who is the majority owner of the Ocean Cluster House, is leading the effort. He plans to renovate the pier in order to house start-ups and research entities that will develop marine-related businesses and innovative products, namely products created from marine resources that have historically been considered underutilized or unusable.

The ɫ����Ƶis one of several sponsors of the project, viewing it as a potential opportunity to utilize its marine, bioscience and pharmaceutical research capacities to develop commercial products and as a new vehicle for providing students with real-world experiences and internships with marine-related companies throughout the country and the world.

According to ɫ����Ƶ President Danielle Ripich, the venture dovetails perfectly with the University’s realignment of its Marine Science Center programs, which focus on hands-on, experiential learning. “With this new strategic vision at the Marine Science Center, our students focus on the integration of science with the changing nature of coastal tourism, marine policy, aquaculture, fisheries, and entrepreneurship. Experiences afforded them by the New England Ocean Cluster House in research, policy, and product development will further them along their career paths and will contribute to the economic vitality of the state and the nation,” she said. 

President Ripich went on to say it’s a collaborative effort, “I have no doubt that the work being done in our marine and bioscience labs in Biddeford and in our pharmaceutical labs in Portland will be of tremendous value to this group. I know, as well, that USM will be an important partner, lending its legal and regulatory expertise to the work. Thank you again, President Cummings.”

Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., Henry L. & Grace Doherty Professor and chair of the Department of Marine Sciences and director of ɫ����Ƶ’s Marine Science Center, sees particular value in the New England Ocean Cluster House to those students who are enrolled in the University’s new Marine Entrepreneurship major and its new 2+2 marine partnership with Southern Maine Community College, which enables students to earn their associate degree at SMCC in two years and complete their bachelor's degree at ɫ����Ƶ with two additional years of study.

 “ɫ����Ƶ’s new B.S. in Marine Entrepreneurship is a unique major, the only one of its kind in the nation combining the applied studies of marine science, policy, and business,” he explained. “SMCC students can do an applied project in the New England Ocean Cluster House in their first two years and continue it at ɫ����Ƶ. I’m convinced these new internship opportunities that will open up to these students with the creation of the New England Ocean Cluster House on the Portland waterfront will launch many, new, high paying marine careers.”

Arnold’s business partner in this venture is Thor Sigfusson, head of the Iceland Ocean Cluster House on which the Portland incubator is modeled. The New England Ocean Cluster House is the most recent example of growing business ties between Iceland and Maine – a relationship that was kick-started when Eimskip, a major Icelandic shipping company, transferred its North American headquarters to Portland in March 2013.