Maine's Biotech Industry is Almost Invisible

When was the last time you heard someone rhapsodizing about the potential for biotechnology in Maine? It's been awhile hasn't it? Even though biotechnology is one of seven targeted economic sectors in Maine's economic development plan, you hear almost nothing about it. It's like Maine's biotech industry has gone underground.

One problem is the biotech industry's trade association -- the Biotechnology Association of Maine. It doesn't have critical mass. Look at the list of members on the Maine Biotech Website. The list is more notable for who isn't on it than who is. The two 800 pound gorillas of Maine biotech -- Idexx Laboratories and The Jackson Laboratory are nowhere to be found. Why not? That's a question BAM should be asking itself.

Then there's the industry's tradition of omerta -- the code of silence. I've asked a number of biotech CEOs why they don't do more to publicize their businesses. The answer I've heard more than once: "We don't want to attract the attention of regulators in Augusta."

So, biotechnology -- one of the few bright spots in this dismal economy, an industry that is being courted by state economic development hot shots and is lavished with venture investment capital -- is living underground in Maine.

The Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau wants change the way the Maine biotechnology industry sees itself. We're starting with a new home page on our Website that features news content. We will update the page every time there is news to report. We will publish our newsletter, Maine BioNews, more frequently. Our Blog will comment on Maine's biotech sector regularly. (We'll even publish your opinion if you to send it to us.)

What can you do? Come out of hiding. Make some news! A check of a few Maine biotech company Websites finds that the news is a little stale to say the least. Except for the public companies which have reporting requirements, the news being posted on company Websites is months, and in come cases, years old.

When you have some news, send it to us. We'll post it on the Website immediately and put it in the next issue of Maine BioNews.

Seven years ago, an economic study reported that Maine's biotech sector employed 3,690 people and contributed $685 million in economic activity to the state's economy. In the years since then these numbers surely have grown. It's time that people in Maine heard this good news. We can start by sharing this news with each other.