Founded in 1865, the University of Maine is an R-1, land, sea, and space grant institution and the flagship campus of the University of Maine System. With 17 million acres of sustainably certified working forest and over 3,000 miles of coastline, UMaine has developed leading expertise in agriculture, forestry, engineering, marine science, and related areas such as bioproducts and composites engineering. These industries remain important to the rural nature of Maine’s economy and represent new opportunities as interest in the blue and green economies grows. 

UMaine was selected as a site for the I-Corps program in 2018. More than 60 teams have participated in the site program. I-Corps has been a critical element of UMaine’s efforts to increase the commercialization of research in Maine. The NSF I-Corps programming allows faculty, staff, and student researchers to develop the tools and understanding needed to move research from the lab to the real world to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. As part of the hub, UMaine will be able to scale efforts to serve more researchers at UMaine and other Maine-based educational institutions, non-profit laboratories, and companies and connect them to a network of mentors and resources throughout New England.

The program is an excellent first step in exploring the commercialization potential of a novel technology/solution and provides grant funding. Team ideas or projects can originate from student work, research (funded or unfunded), institutional, or industrial projects. The topical focus of a project must be in the area(s) of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) commonly supported by the National Science Foundation. Innovations in the humanities, business, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields are also eligible if there is a technology application.

The program runs five to six weeks, starting with a half-day kickoff session. Teams will participate in two coaching sessions during the cohort. Finally, teams make a “Lessons Learned” presentation during a half-day wrap-up session at the end of the cohort. Teams must complete at least 12 customer or relevant party interviews and provide progress updates during coaching sessions.

UMaine aims to run three to four I-Corps cohorts annually, with the next cohort starting in mid-February 2025.

Visit the UMaine I-corps website!

Programs Offered

• Hub Spark Online. Attend our free regional I-Corps short courses developed specifically for STEM researchers. Whether you are just curious about entrepreneurship or certain you want to create a startup, our programs provide engineers and scientists with the ideal entry point to explore the potential value of their research or innovation. Individuals and teams may apply.

Team Members