Science that Matters: Center for Science Entrepreneurship
In this “Science That Matters” segment, Dr. Bob Morris introduces University of Maine student Isaiah Mansour, a 2016 summer fellow at the MDI Biological Laboratory, where he participated in a course in science entrepreneurship. Mansour describes an aquaculture startup he is exploring with the assistance of mentors at the MDI Biological Laboratory. One of the institution’s missions is to nurture emerging life science and technology companies.
Many think of the MDI Biological Laboratory as a research institution, but it also has a long and impressive record in education and entrepreneurship. The institution recently opened its new Center for Science Entrepreneurship (funded by $3 million in state bond funding to bolster the biotechnology sector) whose goal is to catalyze economic development, helping Maine transition to a 21st century economy based on information and knowledge.
The new center builds on the MDI Biological Laboratory’s legacy of leadership in science training and entrepreneurship. The institution has:
- Launched a drug development company, with another startup in the pipeline
- Created Maine’s first research and training network, a collaboration of 13 Maine education and research institutions
- Provided biomedical training to more than 2,100 Maine students
- Incubated several for-profit tech and biotech startups
Watch the video: