Maine's legislature made significant progress in the first half of 2000 in the economic development arena with passage of a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to spur business activity in the state. Among the initiatives funded in a budget passed by the lawmakers are those relating to business attraction and marketing, Applied Technology Development Centers, resources for establishing new regional economic development programs, funds for the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership outreach program and several other projects.
     The state has put in place -- and is in the midst of executing -- a detailed economic development strategy that specifies how state resources are to be allocated so that state government supports and encourages economic activity and doesn't impede it.
     One key three-part principle spells out the state government's role in supporting economic development activity. It is to design educational services around the new economy and to foster the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in that economy; to provide a state-of-the-art infrastructure that is modern, affordable and continuously upgraded; and to provide a business climate that encourages the development of innovation and enables businesses to retain and create jobs.
     Maine's strategy seeks to attract several new or emerging industries by implementing measures in the educational, business climate, infrastructure and other arenas. Among the industries targeted are biotechnology, high-tech electronic manufacturing, information technology and environmental technology. The state also plans to retain and expand industries already at home in Maine, including tourism, natural resource-based industries, precision metal manufacturing and others.
     Internet player EnvisioNet broke ground in July on a new, 55,000-sq.-ft. (5,100-sq.-m.) call center in the City of Orono's Maine Technology Park. EnvisioNet, based in Brunswick, Maine, plans to employ 1,000 people in the center. The company provides high-value technical support and customer-care services for Internet service providers, independent software vendors, e-commerce companies and high-tech clients.