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UNE Hosts Annual Statewide Life Sciences Conference
Hundreds Gathered to Celebrate Maine's Growing Bioscience Industry at the 2024 BioME Conference
Maine’s top researchers, science educators, and biotechnology business owners convened at the University of New England on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to share insights about the state’s life sciences industry at the 2024 Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME) Conference.
The event, held in the Arthur P. Girard Innovation Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences, brought together nearly 250 individuals to discuss industry findings and revel in research. Representatives from some of the state’s top laboratories — including The Jackson Lab and MDI Biological Laboratory — and the health and technology sectors were in attendance.
UNE President James D. Herbert welcomed the crowd by acknowledging the University’s contributions to Maine’s growing life sciences industry, including an established track record of academic strength and groundbreaking research in several fields of crucial importance to human health and the natural world.
Clockwise, from top left: Attendees gather in Girard Innovation Hall; UNE’s Eva Rose Balog, Scott Wood, Karen Houseknecht, Gwen Mahon, and Derek Molliver; a conference attendee asks a question; Kevin Mills, president and CEO of BioKansas, delivers the keynote address; and BioME Executive Director Agnieszka Carpenter welcomes the crowd.
“UNE is proud to partner with so many of the organizations and people here today,” Herbert said. “These relationships have blossomed in recent years, with joint projects facilitating deeper connections and increased engagements while elevating our reputation in biomedical, public health, marine science, environmental science, and computer science research — including the rapidly growing field of AI.”
Herbert said UNE’s focus on workforce development comes at a critical time in Maine’s history, as demand for life science jobs has grown in recent years. According to BioME’s 2024 Life Sciences in Maine industry report, which debuted at the conference, there are currently more than 9,800 life sciences jobs in Maine, representing a 31% increase in the last five years. Bioscience jobs are far outpacing total growth in all of Maine’s industries, which have increased just 3% in the past five years.
UNE represents a significant portion of this growing industry, Herbert said. The University has been awarded $18.6 million in NIH awards in the past five years and has consistently been ranked as the No. 1 college or university in Maine for NIH funding, including $4 million in 2022 alone.
“We’re creating jobs, we’re having an outsized impact on our economy, and we’re generating innovations that improve people’s lives,” he said. “These are exciting times for UNE and for Maine, and I’m so very glad that we can experience them together. I’m also delighted that many of our organizations can work together when our priorities align.”