Portland, ME — FocusMaine, a 10-year catalytic initiative to coordinate Maine’s economic development ecosystem, catalyze the creation of jobs, and increase sales outside the state to attract new private sector dollars into the Maine economy, will be complete at the end of 2026. The organization focused on growing Maine’s food and life sciences sectors, both of which are tied to Maine assets and serve growing global markets, as well as the need to build Maine’s workforce.

Since 2017, FocusMaine has invested its resources into economic development organizations to mutually design and deliver programs aimed at the entrepreneurs, companies and public policies in those focus areas. Notably, the economic development partners in the FocusMaine network will continue to deliver these programs after FocusMaine’s tenure. Today, those partners are significantly more coordinated and interconnected, which will help companies and entrepreneurs in the targeted sectors continue to grow in the years to come.

The suite of programs offered through the partners of the FocusMaine initiative catalyzed the creation of over 1,500 new direct, indirect, and induced jobs; the creation of the Maine Life Sciences Center at the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), premier aquaculture apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and enrolled nearly 3,700 interns working in 140 employer organizations in Maine Career Catalyst.

FocusMaine’s distinctive economic development model harnessed the strengths of existing organizations, aligning efforts across business development and workforce systems to improve efficiency and close critical gaps for emerging companies and entrepreneurs in Maine’s food and life sciences sectors. These sectors were intentionally selected based on their strong potential for export-driven revenue growth and Maine’s competitive advantages related to those sectors. From the outset, FocusMaine was designed as a catalytic initiative, with the intention that through sustained investment, would foster enduring collaborations and deliver impact well beyond the organization itself. 

“We are deeply grateful to our partners, funders, and friends who have believed in the unique approach of FocusMaine and helped make all this possible,” says Andrea Cianchette Maker, President, Co-Chair, and Co-Founder of FocusMaine. “This year, as we approach the completion of our initiative, we are focusing on helping our valued partners maintain programmatic momentum in the years ahead. We are confident that our partners have the skills and relationships to carry the mission forward.”

FocusMaine’s partner network includes CEI, the Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, New England Ocean Cluster, BioME, The Maine Life Sciences Center, Northeastern University’s  Roux Institute, and Educate Maine. Other collaborators include the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine & Co, Live and Work in Maine, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, the Maine Development Foundation, the Maine Food Convergence, and SEA Maine.

“As FocusMaine concludes a decade of catalytic work, its legacy is visible in the businesses that are growing, the jobs being created, and the stronger innovation ecosystem flourishing across Maine,” says Tom Rainey, President of Maine Center for Entrepreneurs. “We are deeply grateful for FocusMaine’s partnership, leadership, and belief in Maine entrepreneurs. The impact of this work will continue to ripple through Maine’s economy for years to come, and we are proud to have been part of building that foundation together.”

In 2026, FocusMaine is focused on creating sustainability of its impacts by transitioning proven, metrics-driven programs to partner organizations, where they are positioned to continue scaling and delivering long-term value for Maine’s economy.

“It is clear by the achievements of our partners and program participants that the FocusMaine model is making a difference,” says FocusMaine Co-Chair and Co-Founder Michael Dubyak. “It takes coordinated leadership and patience to generate tangible economic impacts. With our partners now positioned to sustain long-term collaborative impacts, we are seeing Maine enter a new, stronger era of economic growth and opportunity, especially in the FocusMaine sectors.”

Additional Quotes

“The Harold Alfond Foundation has been proud to support FocusMaine. FocusMaine has forged new collaborations across the state and catalyzed programs that will continue to deliver impact long after the organization itself sunsets.” — Gregory W. Powell, chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation

“We’ve been proud to contribute to FocusMaine and their model of economic development. From the start, they created programs and delivered results that will sustain growth for Maine’s food economy, life sciences industry, and the workforce now and into the future.” — Bob Montgomery-Rice, President & CEO, Bangor Savings Bank

“I am so grateful for FocusMaine’s commitment to life sciences and Maine. In partnership with FocusMaine, we have been able to develop a state-wide coalition committed to growing a life sciences industry in Maine.  A robust life science ecosystem requires diverse disciplines, industries, academic institutions, and advocates.  Thanks to FocusMaine, they saw that at the core of all of these resources are the people – the humans – and invested in them.” — Aileen Huang-Saad, PhD, MBA, Director of Life Sciences, Health, and Engineering Programs, The Roux Institute at Northeastern University

“The Maine Aquaculture Associations partnership with FocusMaine has been critical to the growth the aquaculture sector has seen over the last ten years. The sector has doubled it’s gross revenue and now generates over 200 million in economic impact in the state annually. Our growers create over 1700 jobs and the sector is poised for continued, sustainable growth. Our partnership with FocusMaine has allowed MAA to provide significant business support services and workforce training to support that growth in ways we never would have been able to do without FocusMaine.” — Sebastian Belle, Executive Director, Maine Aquaculture Association

“Over the past decade, FocusMaine has played an important catalytic role in strengthening Maine’s innovation economy, particularly across the food and life sciences sectors. Their support of the New England Ocean Cluster came at an important moment in our development and helped sustain momentum that ultimately enabled the deeper collaboration we now have with the University of Southern Maine.” — Patrick Arnold, Co-Founder & CEO, New England Ocean Cluster

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BJ McCollister
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Frame Strategies
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