President's Message

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Innovation and entrepreneurism are key indicators of intellectual vitality at a modern college or university, and I am pleased to note the exceptional degree to which University of Maine faculty members, students and staff are applying their skill and creativity to creating new knowledge, new products and services, and new ways to solve problems.

UMaine, which generates more intellectual property than the rest of Maine's research institutions combined, has a proud history of innovation and creativity. Only three states generate more spin-off business, per dollar of state investment in university research, than Maine. The state's success is directly attributable to the university's focus on business development activities, largely through the Target Technology Incubator facility in Orono.

We are expanding and further formalizing our efforts related to entrepreneurism. The new Student Innovation Center will provide space for classes and programming related to our innovation engineering curriculum. More important, it will bring together those "big thinkers" whose ideas will help to define the future. The Student Innovation Center will fuel the kind of creative energy that will inspire UMaine students and others to invent, to innovate and to develop their ideas.

As you will see throughout this issue of UMaine Today, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well at the University of Maine. Renowned inventor and UMaine graduate Doug Hall inspired us all when he spoke at the Student Innovation Center ribbon-cutting in October. Doug reminded us that education drives innovation, but true success requires the ability to bring together creativity, courage and knowledge in a way that solves problems and improves our lives and our communities.