Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X I X 84 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine I N N OVAT I O N / R & D B igelow Laboratory opened a $31 million, 25,000-square-foot addition this year that increases the research center's footprint by 40%, providing significant and essential space to accommodate a growing staff and projects. Deborah Bronk, the lab's president and CEO, called the Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation "a launchpad for innovation and a new home for learning." e center includes the latest labora- tory facilities, dedicated teaching labs and classrooms and a 300-seat forum that will become a hub for community outreach and scientific collaboration. At the unveiling of the new research center earlier this year, attendees had the opportunity to meet Henry and Grampus, two autonomous underwater gliders used to study the Gulf of Maine, and to explore the lab's collection — one of the world's largest and most diverse — of marine phytoplankton. Talks included a look at what scientists are learning from environ- mental DNA, how they're address- ing water quality challenges in the Boothbay region and how they study and manage infectious diseases impacting marine life. e cutting-edge laboratory facili- ties will accommodate several new research groups, and newly endowed funds will provide "kickstarter" grants to explore promising, early-stage ideas, according to a news release. e center is one of the first Build America Buy America Act-compliant construction projects in the nation, fos- tering domestic economic growth by prioritizing U.S.-made materials. "Bigelow Laboratory continues to be a catalyst for innovation and scientific excellence, and Consigli is honored to have delivered another state-of-the-art facility on their campus that will help expand their impactful work," said Dave omas, regional director for Consigli Construction Co., which led con- struction of the addition. "e Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation is more than just a building — it's a launchpad for bold science that will empower researchers and students to deepen their under- standing of our oceans." Funding came from the Harold Alfond Foundation, other philan- thropic gifts and federal funding. A maintenance endowment, contributed by an anonymous donor, which will permanently support capital repairs and equipment replacement to ensure the long-term viability of the new space. P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D The Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation at Bigelow Lab's East Boothbay campus The ceiling of the auditorium in the Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation at Bigelow Laboratory. The tide waits for no one Midcoast's Bigelow Lab invests in ocean research B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

• Cover