Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today welcomed news from the Biden-Harris Administration that Maine will be home to one of the nation’s first Tech Hubs. The Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub, led by the Maine Technology Institute, was designated as one of 31 Tech Hubs in regions across the country, authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The Tech Hubs program is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness. The Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub, based in Brunswick, seeks to accelerate development and deployment of innovative, climate-forward products derived from forests and other natural sources that can displace plastics, sequester carbon, and replace toxic chemicals while bolstering U.S. supply chain resilience.

“When the CHIPS and Science Act passed last Congress, we sent a message to the world that America values domestic innovation and manufacturing. That message is being realized as the Biden Administration establishes Tech Hubs across the nation to supercharge and strengthen economic opportunity in our communities and work towards a more sustainable supply chain,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). “As the most forested state in the nation, Maine’s centuries-old forest products industry is a critically important part of our state’s economy and way of life. This industry is prime for the exponential growth and innovation the Biden Administration’s Tech Hubs program epitomizes. I am thrilled to see the Biden Administration invest in this critical work in Maine and recognize the immense potential for the forest bioproducts industry to be a key part of the climate solution.”

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is rooted in policies that will empower the United States to out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world. Our Tech Hubs Program is fundamental to that mission and will supercharge innovation across the nation by spurring cutting-edge technological investments and creating 21st century job opportunities in people’s backyards,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Each of these consortia will help us ensure the industries of the future—and their good-paying jobs—start, grow, and remain in the United States.”

The Phase 1 winners were selected from nearly 400 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners. As part of the Tech Hubs competition, each consortium outlined plans for strengthening its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical technologies.

Read more about the Tech Hubs program at TechHubs.gov

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