Forest Products
Maine’s economic future, like the past, is inextricably linked to our sustainably managed forests.
The forest products industry in Maine is undergoing an exciting re-invention, bridging the old and the new. While pulp and paper manufacturing remain the top contributor to Maine’s forest economy, more mills are shifting production into tissue, label, and packaging grades of paper.
Sawmill timber continues to be an important facet of Maine’s forest economy alongside emerging sectors aligned with the Maine Forest Bioproducts Tech Hub. These include advanced building materials, rapidly deployable structures, biofuels, and non-toxic packaging. Mass timber – particularly cross-laminated timber (CLT) – is a main subcategory of advanced building materials along with innovations such as wood fiber insulation, biochar, and biomass combined heat and power.
Maine has 89% forest coverage, the highest in the United States
$8.3 billion and over 29,000 jobs contributed to Maine's economy
Over $200 million in foreign exports of forest products annually
Maine research institutions and manufacturers are responsible for groundbreaking work in biofuels, biomaterials, and nanocellulose. Value creation remains crucial to the industry, such as transforming residual materials like sawdust into innovative products from sustainable fuels to advanced biomaterials. Using these residuals to create new materials and products offers a promising future for this vital sector to position Maine as a leader within the global forest bioeconomy.
Maine - Finland Forest Bioeconomy Partnership
Maine and Finland share strong cultural and economic ties rooted in forests. Both regions depend on sustainable forestry for rural livelihoods, both are leaders in forest science and bioeconomy innovation, and both are working to position their forest sectors for a low-carbon future.
The 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State of Maine and the Republic of Finland formalizes this relationship and provides a framework for ongoing cooperation in trade, research, and policy exchange. This MOU is one example of Maine’s continued commitment to growing our forest industry through strategic partnerships with other leading, friendly forest-driven innovation markets.
In addition to increasing exports of high-value products made in Maine from Maine trees, our goal is to attract investors and innovators to join our ecosystem and partner with a world-class industry supply chain in an advantageous location for access to the US and Canadia markets.
Chemical Discovery Could Lower Prescription Drug Costs
A new sustainable method to produce pharmaceuticals could help to lower prescription drug costs in the US. This chemical discovery by the University of Maine, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, and the University of Wisconsin could help to address one of the main factors driving high prices for medications like cholesterol-lowering drugs and antibiotics – the cost of production. Glucose can be derived from any lignocellulosic feedstock like wood chips, sawdust, tree branches, or other woody biomass. The new process reduced production costs by more than 60% compared to current methods that use petroleum-derived feedstocks.
Maine Designated as a Federal Tech Hub for Forest Bioproducts
Maine’s Federally designated Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Global Technology Hub seeks to propel the development and commercialization of bioproduct technologies, fostering economic growth, job creation, and rural revitalization. Focus product categories include: advanced materials, rapidly deployable structures, biofuels, and non-toxic packaging. In addition, making use of owned, sustainable resources will provide national security benefits and supply chain resiliency.
Testing and Manufacturing New, Innovative, and Sustainable Forest Products
The Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) at the University of Maine is at the forefront of testing and manufacturing new, innovative, and sustainable forest products to revitalize and diversify Maine’s forest-based economy. Since 1996, the ASCC has conducted hundreds of federal and industrial trials on wood and wood-based composite materials. Research areas include mass timber and wood fiber insulation.
Mass-Timber Construction in Maine
Maine buildings currently incorporating mass timber have had one challenge in common: they haven’t been able to source mass timber from Maine. The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center is among the institutions working to bring a mass-timber manufacturer to Maine. Recently, the center partnered with manufacturers to test various types of mass timber made from Maine softwoods like spruces, firs, and pines which are generally preferred for their strength-to-weight ratio and workability.
Industry Support
Trade association working to expand biobased product manufacturing in Maine through applied research, technical assistance, and information sharing that supports new product development, process engineering, and market assessment
Cross-sector collaboration between industry, communities, government, education, and nonprofits, which have come together to ensure that Maine strategically adapts and capitalizes on changing markets to maintain our leading role in the global forest economy and support prosperity in our state
Provide a supportive economic and public policy climate for the forest products community and promote a healthier, more vital forestry sector
Offers grants, loans, equity investments, and services to support Maine’s innovation economy
Unique, open-access research experience where scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders work collaboratively to develop new pulp- and paper-based products and manufacturing processes
In Good Company
International Investors
We’d love to hear from you to discuss your interest in this sector and Maine’s advantages.