The Role Of Aquatourism In Sustaining Maine’S Working Waterfronts, Caroline Paras, Tracy S. Michaud

Maine Policy Review

Maine tourism relies heavily on the iconic imagery of working waterfronts, including harbors bobbing with lobster boats surrounded by shingled shacks in a rainbow of buoys. Adapted from agritourism, aquatourism is an experience that engages visitors with the landscape and stories of those who fish. According to the literature on the Experience Economy, the emotions generated by such experiences can translate into sales in real time as well as behavioral intentions to purchase in the future. What role can aquatourism play in sustaining working waterfronts? Using a mixed methods approach, this research study utilizes interviews from both producers and consumers …

Reducing Plastic Pollution In The Ocean: Mycobuoys As A Potential Solution, Sue S. Van Hook

Maine Policy Review

Natural mushroom mycelium-based MycoBuoys are an alternative to ubiquitous plastic flotation devices used in Maine aquaculture, fisheries and harbors. They fit perfectly into a circular economic model where natural resources are borrowed for a specific purpose and are returned as elements at the end of product life. MycoBuoys may be composted or used as mulch where 100% of the material enhances soil nutrients upon decomposition. In contrast to this cradle-to-cradle product, currently ubiquitous Stryofoam buoys have expensive end life costs in terms of ecosystem and organismal health consequences. Styrene is a known carcinogen, and the foam particles degrade into smaller …

Examining The Experiences Of Small, Independent Grocers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jamie Picardy, Lisa Luken, Iris Michaud, Martha Lefebvre

Maine Policy Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed existing vulnerabilities across various sectors of the economy and society. Disruptions to the food chain have been common during the pandemic, resulting in empty shelves at grocery stores and modifications to consumer culture. Within this study, we examined resilience (characterized by flexibility, diversity, redundancy, adaptability, innovation, self-reliance and infrastructure) of small, independent grocery stores in Maine.

Sustainability Of Maine’S Emerging Wine Industry, Michaela Murray, Mark Haggerty, Stephanie Welcomer

Maine Policy Review

Consumers, businesses and business sectors, and policymakers are increasingly concerned with sustainability, and the global wine industry has long acknowledged concerns about the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of their industry. Several wine regions, including France, Australia, and South Africa, have developed workbooks and policies for sustainable wine production, but Maine’s emerging wine industry has yet to explore the concept of sustainability as it relates to its operations. In this project, designed in collaboration with the Maine Winery Guild, we interviewed the owners of 10 Maine wineries and analyzed how they define and enact sustainability along with the obstacles they …

The Other Maine Guides: How The Humanities Create Sense Of Place And Enrich Tourism, Kreg Ettenger

Maine Policy Review

When we speak of a “sense of place,” we often mean how local residents see their environment and their place within it. But for many visitors, their sense of place about the sites they visit has more to do with what they have read or seen or heard than what they have actually experienced. Cultural tourists in particular are often well versed in the literature, art, music, and other creative works produced about, in, or by people who are from the places they choose to visit. This sense of place drives their travel choices and feeds their expectations of what …

Research, Innovation, And Commercialization At The University Of Maine, James S. (Jake) Ward Iv

Maine Policy Review

This paper presents the University of Maine’s accomplishments through its use of state R&D funds.

Maine’S Innovation Prospects: What The Research Can Tell Us, Linda Silka

Maine Policy Review

The innovation literature suggests Maine faces a number of challenges. This overview article discusses this literature, noting how recent findings about boundary spanning point to the importance of both individual skills and group collaboration in innovation. It highlights the implications for policies that could jumpstart innovation, noting the importance of looking to history, looking across topics, looking across disciplines, looking to other states, and looking to other countries to avoid becoming too short-sighted and parochial in approaches.

An Emerging Model Of Innovation For Maine, Renee Kelly

Maine Policy Review

The state of Maine began making significant investments in research and development in the late 1990s, aligning those investments with industry sectors that drew upon the state’s traditional strengths as well as emerging industries such as biotechnology. This strategy was largely built upon the cluster theory of economic development, which can be challenging to implement in rural areas, in part because of their less dense social networks. This paper suggests that developing more efficient social networks will build stronger clusters and make rural areas more successful in innovation, and presents the Blackstone Accelerates Growth initiative as an emerging model for …

Transforming Maine’S Economy: Innovation And Entrepreneurship Policy, Catherine Searle Renault

Maine Policy Review

Innovation and entrepreneurship are major drivers of economic growth. Support for them is a primary role of state government in order to increase the well being of its citizens through the provision of well-paying jobs that cannot be easily exported. Today, the state’s role is described as “enhancing the innovation ecosystem,” with the goal of increased productivity, innovation and competitiveness. Policies to build the ecosystem include: (1) building and supporting a state’s research and development capacity; (2) encouraging a state’s entrepreneurial community, (3) increasing the productivity of a state’s economy though the commercialization of new products, services, processes, business models …

R&D: Cornerstone Of The Knowledge Economy, Evan Richert

Maine Policy Review

Maine has made progress toward achieving the goals set out 13 years ago in the State Planning Office’s publication “30 and 1000.” That publication projected that if 30 percent of the state’s adults had at least four-year degrees and if businesses, academia, and government were spending $1,000 per employed worker on research and development, Maine’s per capita income would reach the national average. The state still has a ways to go. Today it is estimated that the R&D threshold is about $1,600 per employed worker. Business will need to nearly double its effort to reach its share of the goal. …

Do We Have The Workforce Skills For Maine’S Innovation Economy?, John Dorrer

Maine Policy Review

A convergence of economic and demographic forces is shaping a set of formidable challenges for Maine. This article describes how a workforce with superior skills is the key to economic growth and innovation. Over the last five decades, skill requirements have changed dramatically for most workers with the shift from goods-producing to service industries. While much has been done in reforming K-12, post secondary, and adult education systems to accommodate the changing Maine economy, it is not enough More innovation and adaptation will be required from policymakers, institutional leaders, employers and Maine people themselves.

Innovation Engineering, Brianna Hughes, Kathryn Smith

Maine Policy Review

A graduate and an undergraduate student reflect on their experiences in the University of Maine’s Innovation Engineering program.

Farming’S Future Depends On Continued Innovation, John Piotti

Maine Policy Review

Farming is on the upswing in Maine, with many innovative practices and institutions described in this article.

State Investment In University Research And Commercialization: What Is Measurable And What Is Meaningful?, Kris Burton

Maine Policy Review

There are serious challenges in measuring the impact of universities on their state economies and in measuring the return on investment in universities by state legislatures. This article discusses the metrics currently used in looking at societal investment in research and the commercialization of research results. It asks if more meaningful metrics are needed, and if so, are they possible to obtain?

Finding Untapped Opportunities In Forests, Linda Silka

Maine Policy Review

Opportunities for innovation in forests in Maine and elsewhere are discussed, including forest bioproducts research at the University of Maine.

The Distributional Effects Of Recent Changes To Maine’S Tax System, Joel Johnson

Maine Policy Review

Both classical economic theory and recent empirical research support the notion that taxes should be progressive: that the wealthiest citizens should pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the middle class, and the middle class should pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the poor. Like every other state in the U.S., Maine’s state and local tax system is not progressive, or even proportional with respect to income, but regressive. This article summarizes recent changes to income, sales, and property taxes that have made Maine’s state and local tax system more regressive.

Consumer Support For A Maine Woods Tourism Quality Label, David Vail, Harold Daniel

Maine Policy Review

David Vail and Harold Daniel report findings of a survey of North American vacationers. The survey assessed the strength of interest in quality-labeled Maine vacation experiences and tested consumer willingness to pay a price premium for certified tour “products.” The survey revealed that nearly four out of ten leisure travelers are responsive to the benefits promised by quality-labeled vacation experiences. The authors also describe steps communities, businesses, and state tourism leaders can take toward developing a Maine Woods quality label.

Welcome To Portland; Now Let’S Eat, Hilary Nangle

Maine Policy Review

This case study describes how nationally-acclaimed chefs and restaurants and the farm-to-table movement have led to Portland, Maine becoming a major culinary tourism destination.

Farm To School, Amy Winston

Maine Policy Review

Farm to school programs aim to link institutional purchasing to local food producers. This article describes how these programs in Maine have the potential to not only benefit food producers and communities economically but also to improve the health of schoolchildren and to reduce the carbon footprint of food production.

Economic Contribution Of Maine’S Food Industry, Todd M. Gabe, James C. Mcconnon Jr., Richard Kersbergen

Maine Policy Review

Using existing state and federal data and Maine IMPLAN, a state-of-the-art economic modeling system, the authors present an overview of the economic contributions of Maine’s food industry. This includes food makers (farms, fisheries, food-processing companies) and food sellers (grocery stores, direct sales, restaurants). Each play a unique, but interconnected, role in the Maine economy and add up to significant economic impact.

Adrift In A Sea Of Information About Sustainable Seafood: The Maine Consumer Perspective, Catherine V. Schmitt

Maine Policy Review

The desire for a sustainable seafood industry that protects the environment and the future of fishing is certainly of interest to consumers, but even here there are conflicting standards, as Catherine Schmitt explores in this article.

Local And Regional Food Systems: A Usda Priority, Virginia Manuel

Maine Policy Review

Virginia Manuel gives examples of innovative Maine food production, distribution and processing projects and businesses and the ways USDA rural development is financing them.

The Renaissance Of A Food-Based Economy In Skowhegan, Amber Lambke

Maine Policy Review

This case study discusses the example of Skowhegan, Maine, which is seeing the rebirth of a local food-based economy, focused on the development of a local grist mill and farmer’s market

Unity Food Hub: Creating New Opportunities For Local Farms, Michael Gold

Maine Policy Review

Unity, Maine, as described in this case study, has grown into a “food hub,” as defined by the USDA. With support from the Maine Farmland Trust, a number of local development options are being explored.

Growing Maine’S Foodscape, Growing Maine’S Future, Laura Lindenfeld, Linda Silka

Maine Policy Review

Maine is experiencing a culinary renaissance. Creativity and entrepreneurship linked with culture and tradition are making Maine a food destination and a unique “foodscape.” Laura Lindenfeld and Linda Silka explore this convergence and its poten­tial to create jobs, protect assets, and support commu­nity values.

Micmac Farms: From Community Garden To Four-Season Farm And Retail Outlet, Jane Caulfield

Maine Policy Review

This short case study describes how Maine’s Micmac tribe is developing “Micmac Farms” from a community garden to a four-season agricultural business.

Putting Equity Back In Reverse Mortgages: Helping Seniors Retire With Dignity, Andrew C. Helman

Maine Policy Review

Policymakers can help some seniors age in place through policies to strengthen private-sector reverse mortgages. In reverse mortgages, individuals who may be “house rich but cash poor” can use their home’s equity to receive regular income or get money through a credit line. Andrew Helman argues that state legislatures can help seniors avoid the “tricks and traps” of reverse mortgages by estab­lishing programs in which lenders who agree to play by rules that ensure the safety and security of such mortgages are placed on a “preferred” list for seniors seeking a loan. He observes that laying the groundwork now can …

Investing In Maine’S Youngest Children Has Great Returns For Business, Dana F. Connors

Maine Policy Review

Dana F. Connors describes how the business commu­nity has become involved in the dialogue to help steer planning for investments in Maine’s youngest chil­dren. He acknowledges that there are high costs in failing to invest early and notes that creating skilled workers requires building the foundation in the first few years of the worker’s life. He stresses that high-quality early education and care are vital for both individual and statewide economic security.

Improving The Health Of Maine, One Employee At A Time, Jerry Whalen

Maine Policy Review

In this commentary, Jerry Whalen, an officer in Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, discusses employee wellness programs and the importance of focusing on the workplace. He notes that managers and senior executives have a key role to play in ensuring success of employee wellness programs

Nature-Based Tourism In Maine: The State’S Role In Promoting A Strong Tourism Industry, Elizabeth Munding, John Daigle

Maine Policy Review

Tourism is Maine’s largest industry and, perhaps also, one of the least well understood and appreciated by the state’s citizens. Conventional wisdom suggests that tourism yields unwanted crowds and low-paying jobs. Yet closer analysis suggests that tourism does and has a yet-to-be-realized potential to enhance the well-being and sustainability of communities, particularly through high-quality, nature-based experiences that leverage Maine’s extraordinary landscapes, wilderness, and rural culture. Elizabeth Munding and John Daigle summarize what was learned as a result of Munding’s interviews with close to 50 tourism stakeholders throughout Maine. Although this study covered four major aspects of Maine’s tourism industry, here …