There has also been talk of setting up a business incubator in southern Maine for software companies, another in the Skowhegan area for wood product companies, and one in Orono for technology-related companies that would be linked to the University of Maine. Nationally, the NBIA says interest has picked up because people realize incubators can create good companies, which in turn generate high-paying jobs, diversify the economy, create new products and revitalize depressed areas. In Maine, the interest has been spurred in part by Gov. Angus King. He has been a fan of business incubators since visiting one during a trade mission to Nova Scotia earlier this year. There is also a growing interest simply because people realize that Maine is moving from its traditional resource-based economy to one relying more on technology and science.
Studies show that technology-related jobs pay more than the average wage in Maine.
Philip Helgerson, executive director of the Center for Environmental Enterprise, said people have become more aware of the potential of incubators as the state increases its spending on technological research. It is also hard to ignore business success stories such as that of Idexx Corp., a biotechnology company based in Westbrook that makes veterinary products. Morten B. Asbjornsen, a partner of Interface Media Group, the company that developed the Old Port Technology Center, said companies increasingly recognize the value of working with like-minded businesses. They're all basically start-ups that have a vision, and are driving that vision. Of course, developing incubators does not come without risks.