How Maine’s technology clusters stack up

The interactive graphic to the right tracks Maine’s 13 technology clusters on three metrics: The size of the bubble is the number of current jobs supported, while the axes track the average wages and projected job growth through 2022. It offers a visual representation of the opportunities, such as the alternative energy cluster in the top right, and the challenges, such as textiles in the bottom left.

Investment matters

Maine’s academic and private sector investment in research and development lags the country on a per capita basis. But the state’s rate for academic R&D expenditures grew 90 percent from 2001 to 2011 when it reached almost $130 million, outpacing the national growth rate of 73 percent during the same period. Maine’s private sector R&D spending grew at the same rate as the country’s during the period.

Maine’s average wages lag the nation’s

While 11 of the 13 technology clusters offer higher average wages than the state average, nearly all offer wages that fall below those in New England and the nation. This partially reflects Maine’s lower cost of living, but it also reflects the lower productivity of Maine’s technology clusters.