From the Mayflower to today’s modern economy, New England has long been a stomping ground for pioneers. Today, this rich legacy continues to inspire the formation of leading industry clusters. In a region home to world-renowned universities and abundant natural resources, these assets are attracting an influx of new ventures, positioning these states as leaders in various cutting-edge sectors.
MAINE
Backed by $1.6 million in federal Wood Innovations and Community Wood Grant Program funding, three Maine-based companies are anticipated to build capacity and instigate innovation within forest product manufacturing.
“Federal grant programs that support innovative and sustainable uses for wood are instrumental in helping Maine loggers and forest product producers adapt to ever-changing industries, climate and markets,” said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. “From bringing production back to the Jay area to furthering sustainable innovations in packaging and wood products, these federal grants for Maine support rural economies while investing in forward-thinking, sustainable practices.”
This investment comes months after Maine received a first-of-its-kind designation as a federal “Tech Hub” for the advancement of innovative forest bioproducts. Announced in October 2023, this designation, created by the CHIPS and Sciences Act, recognizes that Maine’s forest bioproducts sector has the potential for rapid growth and opens the door for significant federal investments such as this wood-focused grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
From forest management and construction to wood products and transportation, Treeline Inc. wears many hats within the state’s forest industry. It plans to use the nearly $1 million grant it received to construct a thermally modified wood treatment facility.
Located in Saco, Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, received $300,000 to help expand capabilities to replace plastic packaging with Type 3 molded wood fiber. The company only began operations last summer, after securing $3.2 million in pre-seed funding. Its founders, Melissa and Christopher LaCasse, aim to solve “the modern problem of plastic waste” by innovating Maine’s historic pulp and paper industry.
Through this grant, Godfrey Forest Products LLC was allotted $300,000 to help reignite wood products production at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay. In March, the company announced that it has initiated the process of constructing a new oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturing facility at the site, which was previously operated by paper manufacturer Pixelle Specialty Solutions until operations ceased in March 2023.
Once the project is completed in approximately 18 to 24 months, Godfrey Forest Products expects to hire 125 new employees.
“New Haven is the fastest growing metropolitan statistical area for physical, engineering and life sciences R&D jobs, scaling by 581% from 2017 to 2022.”
— Source: Lightcast
CONNECTICUT
According to Lightcast, New Haven is the fastest growing metropolitan statistical area for physical, engineering and life sciences R&D jobs, scaling by 581% from 2017 to 2022. With renowned universities such as Yale, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University and Trinity College located in the state, Connecticut is home to a bevy of top-tier research assets and talent pools, in turn establishing the bedrock for a robust biotech ecosystem.
“Connecticut’s life sciences industry has boomed in recent years,” said John Bourdeaux, president and CEO of AdvanceCT, in a press release. “Companies are drawn to the region due to the abundance of talent along our state’s Innovation Corridor, stretching from Stamford to New Haven to Hartford, plus established life sciences centers in Danbury and Groton. This large concentration of R&D and STEM talent has sustained other notable companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim’s U.S. headquarters, Pfizer’s largest R&D facility in the U.S., and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine.”
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that from 2013 to 2023, the number of bioscience establishments located in the state grew by 80%, increasing to approximately 1,650.
Right before the new year began, AdvanceCT announced that an additional four companies were expanding their operations in the state: MannKind Corporation, Millstone Medical (formerly MycoScience), ReST Therapeutics and Revalia Bio.
For Paris, France-based ReST Therapeutics, this expansion marks the company’s entry into the U.S. market. The developer of therapies to treat complex neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s and PTSD, has selected New Haven as the new location for its U.S. headquarters and is currently in the process of raising a $7.5 million post-seed round to invest in the state.
In addition to attracting companies from abroad, this announcement also includes companies that were founded in Connecticut and have continued to flourish there.
Yale spinoff Revelia Bio, which strives to reinvent first-in-human clinical trials through the use of organs donated for research, is expanding into Elm City Bioscience Center’s 55 Church St. tower, a former downtown New Haven office space that was converted into a 113,600-sq.-ft. lab and research building. The company has committed to investing more than $10 million and creating over 15 jobs.
The ECO Edison, one of the first U.S.-flagged Jones Act offshore wind farm service operation vessels (SOV), was christened and launched in a ceremony at the Port of New Orleans (pictured) in late May and arrived in Rhode Island in June.
Image courtesy of Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and ABS
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island’s developing wind energy supply chain is quickly achieving milestone after milestone.
On Thursday, June 13, Revolution Wind celebrated the completed construction of the project’s union-built advanced foundation components, marking significant progress in the development of Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first large-scale offshore wind farm and the nation’s first multi-state offshore wind farm.
Spanning roughly 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, once in operation, Revolution Wind will have the capacity to generate 400 megawatts of clean, affordable offshore wind power for Rhode Island and 304 megawatts for Connecticut, enough clean energy to power more than 350,000 homes across both states.
During the same week, the Ocean State welcomed the arrival of ECO EDISON — the first-ever American-built, owned and crewed offshore wind service operations vessel (SOV). Built by more than 600 workers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, this innovative vessel will play an essential role in the operation and maintenance of Ørsted and Eversource’s Northeast projects.
Ørsted and Eversource have invested approximately $100 million into their ProvPort hub, representing the largest offshore wind supply chain investment in Rhode Island’s history. Additionally, the Revolution Wind project alone is credited for creating around 1,200 union jobs throughout the state.
“The construction of our state’s second offshore wind farm is a testament to the power of regional collaboration,” said Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Liz Tanner. “This project not only harnesses Rhode Island’s natural resources but also continues to drive momentum in the blue economy by creating good-paying jobs and fostering sustainable development.”
The vast potential of Rhode Island’s coastline, paired with the state’s demonstrated determination to grow its blue economy, led the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to designate the Providence-Warwick region as one of the country’s 31 inaugural Tech Hubs.
Alongside Massachusetts, Rhode Island will spearhead the newly established Ocean Tech Hub, leveraging its unique coastal assets to establish digital and physical testing and manufacturing environments for rapid prototype testing and meet growing commercial demand. In doing so, the states strive to advance ocean-related technology innovation, establishing this corner of New England as a global leader in the growing blue economy.
