New England Ocean Cluster teams up with USM on 'commercialization' effort

FILE PHOTO / TIM GREENWAY Patrick Arnold, left, co-founder and CEO of the New England Ocean Cluster, and chief operating and marketing officer Chris Cary will build an office of commercialization at the University of Southern Maine.

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By Laurie Schreiber

Marine biotechnology, aquaculture and consumer goods will be the focal points of a new initiative between the University of Southern Maine and the New England Ocean Cluster.

This week the two Portland entities launched a public-private partnership focused on commercialization and applied research.

“Commercialization is not just about startups or patents — it’s about translating ideas into impact,” said Patrick Arnold, the New England Ocean Cluster's founder and USM’s director of commercialization.

USM and New England Ocean Cluster are co-branding the programs as “Transforming the Blue Economy.” The formal relationship builds on a decade of collaboration.

“This is part of our vision for USM to be a critical asset to the regional economy, to connect our faculty and students to meaningful work and to ensure innovation thrives across every discipline,” said Jacqueline Edmondson, USM’s president.

The New England Ocean Cluster is a member-based, marine-focused consultancy, business incubator and accelerator.

Federal changes

Amid uncertain federal research funding, the partnership is designed to support applied research, according to a news release. That could be accomplished by:

Supporting industry-aligned research and development to give local businesses a competitive edge
Creating commercialization pathways for faculty research and student-led ventures
Generating new products and services that value-add to Maine’s natural resources
Providing entrepreneurs with tools to build into a zero-waste, circular economy

The partnership is expected to equip entrepreneurs, students and faculty with resources, networks and guidance to bring ideas to market.

Under the partnership, Arnold and Chris Cary, both with New England Ocean Cluster, have joined USM to build out the university’s office of commercialization. They will retain their leadership roles at New England Ocean Cluster, where Arnold is CEO and Cary is chief operating and marketing officer.