Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 2 5 26 M A N U FA C T U R I N G / I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E not put together, not all in one shop, unless it's, say, an aerospace shop or a defense shop." Also unique are the staff 's roots in industry, he continues. "We might be at an academic facility here at UMaine, but we're from industry first," Wentworth says. "We all worked in manufacturing, typically for a decade or more before coming here. So, we bring our experiences, from running manufacturing floors to being techni- cians, fabricators, manufacturing manag- ers, professional engineers, to running our own companies. We bring that all to this center." Recently, the center had 30 active projects underway. "We'll finish between 20 and 50 projects per year," he says. "ey can be $500 to $100,000 projects and anywhere in between." Counting advisory meetings along with project contracts, the center sees up to 200 clients each year. "It always starts with a conversation," says Wentworth. "Someone comes to us and says, 'I have this idea to make X, Y, Z.' I say, 'Okay, let's talk about what your project needs in order to get to what you define as a success as a client.'" Workforce development e center's workforce development efforts resulted from industry demand, says Bradley Denholm, associate direc- tor of workforce development. "ere was a clear need not only for more workforce in Maine but for a higher-skilled workforce, able to work with the latest technologies," says Denholm. Most Maine manufacturers oper- ate at the "industry 2.0" level, meaning they have mechanized mass produc- tion capabilities. Some are industry 3.0; they've brought computers, automation and robotics into their processes. Industry 4.0 leverages the integration of 3.0 systems across production and information management systems, along with data analytics and machine learn- ing to optimize business processes. e center's training program is flex- ible, designed for industry newcomers eager to learn the basics just as much as long-time professionals looking to be up-skilled. "We have a lot of equipment and are set up to train in a flexible manner," says Denholm. "at makes the program open and applicable to anyone, whether you're an incumbent worker — say, an electrician or technician — and that organization wants to start bringing on robotics and automation, and that individual needs upskilling. We're able to support those folks." At Compotech, Melrose considers the center invaluable for the indus- try: "By having all of the Advanced Manufacturing Center's resources right there, it's a great asset for the state of Maine." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E GREATER REACH. STRONGER SERVICE. DEEPER COMMITMENT. Grow your business with reliability and confidence. FidiumBusiness.com | 1.844.343.4862 67,000+ fiber route miles 250,000+ on-net / near-net buildings $1.7 Billion+ in network investments since 2020 By having all of the Advanced Manufacturing Center's resources right there, it's a great asset for the state of Maine. — Paul Melrose Compotech F O C U S P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Brad Denholm, associate director of workforce development of the University of Maine's Advanced Manufacturing Center in Orono, operates a robot.

• Cover