PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 23, 2023
Maine has been designated a federal Forest Bioproducts Tech Hub and could receive $50 million to $75 million to accelerate research and development of natural polymers and other wood fiber bioproducts to replace plastics and toxic chemicals, Gov. Janet Mills announced Monday. The designation comes with a $500,000 planning grant and opens the door to significant further investment from the Biden administration, which would signal that Maine’s forest bioproducts sector has the potential for rapid growth in a foundational industry that has been flagging.