Maine Technology Institute Announces Award to Sustainable Agriculture Society

The Maine Technology Institute awarded $68,000 to the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society in support of research and development targeting greenhouse technologies for a pilot project to increase year-round agriculture in Maine. This award was funded through MTI’s Cluster Initiative Program which is designed to boost high-potential technology-intensive clusters and fund the work of companies, service providers, research laboratories and educational institutions working collaboratively to expand a sector’s infrastructure.

The award to the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society will bring together a network of companies and farms from the agricultural, composite and renewable energy sectors to plan for a one-acre greenhouse using a hybrid composite concrete framework, created at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center, and a flexible photovoltaic membrane to provide electricity and heat.

“This project incorporates some of the best practices in creating successful clusters,” said Robert A. Martin, President of MTI. “We look for joint research and development efforts that accelerate innovation within an industry cluster, along with supportive networks and skills training, so that new products and markets can be developed. This nexus of year-round agriculture, composites and renewable energy will be a strong positive for Maine’s rural communities.”

The deadline for the next round of MTI’s Cluster Initiative Program is March 25, 2013. Details of the program may be found at www.mainetechnology.org. Maine organizations engaged in collaborative efforts in the sectors of Aquaculture & Marine Technology, Biotechnology, Composites & Advanced Materials, Environmental Technology, Forest Products & Agriculture, Information Technology, and Precision Manufacturing are eligible to apply.

MTI funds Maine entrepreneurs and companies who engage technology to develop innovative products and connects them to resources to help them grow sustainable enterprises.

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