The award recognizes individuals whose work has significantly advanced scientific and engineering knowledge within the renewable materials sector. Division Technical Awards, presented by TAPPI, honor outstanding accomplishments or contributions that advance industry technology in a given field.

Tajvidi received the award on April 28 at the TAPPICon conference in Columbus, Ohio.

He holds appointments in 91����’s School of Forest Resources, the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute. His research focuses on alternatives to petroleum-based products, particularly within forest-based industries.

For nearly a decade, has pursued an iterative, hardware-driven approach to reducing cost, schedule, and technical risk for next-generation nuclear technology. In collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Kairos Power and the University of Maine collaborated on approaches that could improve speed and efficiency in nuclear construction using additive manufacturing.

Engineers at 91����’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) and ORNL designed and 3D-printed specialized sinusoidal concrete form liners to fit into a steel frame, creating a hybrid casting system for prefabricated structural elements that cuts costs and accelerates site construction. 

Using its large-scale additive manufacturing capabilities, the ASCC produced full-scale wall segments measuring approximately 3 feet thick and 27 feet tall, providing a critical demonstration of how advanced manufacturing can support faster, more precise and cost-effective nuclear construction.

“This demonstration is a crucial step to expanding the use of precast construction to build our plants with greater efficiency and enhanced performance on significantly faster timelines compared to conventional methods,” said Kairos Power Chief Technology Officer Ed Blandford.

Large-scale manufacturing could reshape energy infrastructure

This partnership in innovation offers a glimpse of how large-scale manufacturing could reshape the future of American energy infrastructure.

“There was no margin for error. We met a commercial deadline with massive, high-precision components, a feat that felt astonishing for an academic center,” said Susan MacKay, the chief sustainable materials officer at the ASCC. “This partnership demonstrates that 91����’s capability is truly operating at the speed of industry.”

The ASCC is home to the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, capable of printing hundreds of pounds of material per hour. That industrial scale allows 91���� to meet commercial deadlines typically reserved for private industry, a rare capability in higher education.

The work is part of the Specialized Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for Resilient Technologies, or SM²ART. The public-private partnership solves industry challenges and lowers manufacturing costs by using locally sourced materials and leveraging the advanced production capabilities of 91���� and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee.

A model for how universities and national labs can work together

“91���� is a model for how universities and national labs can work together to strengthen American manufacturing,” said Ryan Dehoff, director of DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. “Partnerships like SM²ART give industry a direct path to the tools and talent needed to build the nation’s next generation of energy and defense infrastructure.”

The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is supported by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, is a nationwide consortium of collaborators working with ORNL to innovate, inspire and catalyze the transformation of U.S. manufacturing.

For more than half a century, nuclear energy has supplied the United States with steady, reliable electricity. Today, it generates nearly half of the nation’s carbon-free power and supports tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. But despite its promise, cost overruns and construction delays have long hindered new nuclear infrastructure — a barrier that threatens energy security at a moment when artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and other forefront technologies are driving unprecedented demand for power.

Meeting commercial timelines without sacrificing precision

The ORNL, Kairos Power, and 91���� collaborations developed an approach that could meet commercial timelines without sacrificing precision. This required 91����’s ASCC printing team to produce the longest forms ever made at the center, followed by precision machining to tight tolerances. The ASCC’s new scanning and metrology team verified every curve and angle against the digital model, ensuring tight geometric tolerances and part quality.

“This project was made possible by 91����’s ASCC leading expertise in large-scale additive and convergent manufacturing, composites materials and structural applications, and a business model responsive to industry needs. The 29-year old center is housed in a 150,000-square-foot laboratory with 400 personnel, and has a long history of keeping pace with the high-stakes schedules typically associated with private industry,” said ASCC Executive Director Habib Dagher. “It’s an unusual level of performance for an academic institution — and a critical advantage as the U.S. seeks to modernize its energy infrastructure.”

Beyond physical infrastructure, 91���� is building digital assurance through its Material Process Property Warehouse (MPPW). This system uses AI and machine learning to capture and track every step of large-scale additive and convergent manufacturing. By creating a “digital thread,” the MPPW allows components to be “born certified” — a breakthrough that reduces cost, regulatory delays and risk for industries like nuclear energy and defense.

91����’s growing role in workforce development

The project also highlights 91����’s growing role in workforce development. Students, graduate researchers and industry professionals work directly on projects like this, gaining real-world experience in high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing, energy and defense. This approach helps build a new generation of skilled workers who can translate complex science into industrial solutions.

While Kairos Power is focused on nuclear power, the university’s innovation has applications far beyond nuclear energy. The same fast, large-scale manufacturing paired with digital certainty can be used for defense, transportation, housing, and AI infrastructure.

For Kairos Power, the partnership with SM²ART solved a critical construction challenge. For the nation, it demonstrated how innovation in Maine is helping build infrastructure faster, cheaper and smarter — a key step toward meeting the energy demands of the future.

​​The SM²ART program is funded by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office. AMMTO supports a globally dominant U.S. manufacturing and industrial base for a resilient energy system and secure supply chain. Its mission is to drive and inspire innovation that transforms materials, manufacturing, and workforce and advances America’s energy economy.

Contact: MJ Gautrau, mj.gautrau@maine.edu

On their laptops, they’ll build virtual replicas — digital twins — that mirror how those structures behave in wind and waves. Adjust a setting on the screen, and the virtual system responds instantly, predicting how the real structure would react in the ocean.

“Digital twins are a rapidly emerging technology,” said project lead Amrit Verma. “By 2030, digital twins are expected to expand across multiple industries. Consequently, the global digital twin market is witnessing considerable growth. As a result, the need for digital twins is skyrocketing, with digital twins recognized as a new and featured career path in maritime that did not exist a decade ago.”

This hands-on work is at the heart of a new internship program at 91����, designed to prepare students for careers in Maine’s growing blue economy — industries that sustainably use ocean and coastal resources to nourish communities and foster innovation. Sensors on physical systems will enable real-time data collection and processing within digital simulations, allowing students to test complex marine scenarios safely and accurately.

The project will support 48 undergraduate and graduate students through eight-week summer and year-round internships over the next three years. These experiences will center on digital twin technology, in which participants use this data-driven, virtual modeling approach to support smarter decision-making. These systems often integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to analyze, predict and optimize system performance, offering students valuable exposure to technologies shaping the future of ocean industries.

“This project is about providing students with hands-on learning experiences,” said Verma,  assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. “Our main focus is on first- and second-year undergraduate students, as well as early-stage graduate students who are still at the beginning of their academic journey. We want to train them to build digital twins so that this experience will inspire them to build their careers around the blue economy.”

Applications are open for starting in January and starting in June.

One unique aspect of this project is that the students will gain experience working directly with 91����’s ocean test beds and in faculty labs, building and refining digital twins that can be used to test scenarios safely and accurately before they happen in the real world. For instance, the project offers access to an on-site test bed devised by Verma that includes a 1:70 lab-scaled model for building digital twins based on generative AI. Students will use this testbed to both test and refine digital twins, providing practice experience that directly prepares them for workforce readiness in the rapidly evolving blue economy sector.

Students will also be able to work on live projects with various employers, such as Kelson Marine, Vertical Bay and the National Renewable Energy Lab, in addition to faculty labs at Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, and the Advanced Structures and Composite Centers that are leading digital research at 91����.

“Students will learn about ocean industries and ocean structures, including also learning how to scale large ocean structures into lab-scale environments and build and test digital twins of them,” Verma said. “They’ll gain experience in instrumentation, AI and machine learning applications, experimental design, manufacturing, sensor fusion, calibration and data acquisition.”

The program aims to provide clear and structured career pathways for students. Participants will earn micro-credentials in digital research, which they can use to demonstrate and certify their skills to potential employers.

“The outcomes of this project will lead to a strong talent pipeline of students in the digital twin sector,” Verma said. “You have workforce readiness skills, career awareness, access to digital experience, enhanced program experience and curriculum for training students.”

Maine and New England are considered critical hubs for the blue economy. This project will prepare students to enter the workforce in fields such as offshore aquaculture, autonomous shipping and other sectors that are likely to help strengthen the nation’s economic independence and security. By providing students with early, practice exposure to digital twin systems, 91���� is closing gaps in the U.S. workforce and bolster the region’s maritime and blue economy industries.

Other 91���� faculty members working on the project with Verma include Richard Kimball, Presidential Professor in Ocean Engineering and Energy; Andrew Goupee, Donald A. Grant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering; Yifeng Zhu, Norman Stetson Professor & Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences at the Darling Marine Center and Mathew Fowler, research engineer at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center. 

The project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu

“One of our goals is to take the technology and make sure it works for people in the state of Maine and to create jobs in Maine,” said ASCC Executive Director Habib Dagher.

Evergreen joins a growing list of successful ASCC spinoffs transforming university innovation into real-world impact across the state.

Shipping pallets made of wood are burned or buried after losing structural integrity, practices that are not only bad for the environment, but potentially dangerous for military personnel. Using recycled plastic and wood waste is a two-step approach to waste mitigation: pallets would be created from plastic found at military waste dumps, such as milk jugs, water bottles and portable toilets, and they could be broken down onsite and reused. 

“I think sustainable engineering is where the future of the industry is — finding ways to make our current practices more sustainable,” said Micah Morton, a 91���� junior from South Texas and ASCC intern. “And that’s what I hope to do.”

Before the three 91���� interns started their tests, re:3D identified typical plastics disposed of at military depots or installations and determined which mixtures would be the best to test. It’s been the students’ job to identify the most compatible ratios of those mixtures by running tests, such as for strength, tension and elasticity. Morton said one of the logistical challenges has been creating names for each new mixture and ratio they test, since many have the same compounds. 

The students are also training to use industry-applicable software and practicing how to work together as a team. During the summer, they huddled around the same machines 40 hours per week. Throughout the semester, they’ll document their work with tables, charts and graphs and prepare to publish.

Patrick Ferrell, a senior engineer at re:3D, said when hiring recent graduates, they like to see projects a student has stayed committed to from start to finish. While 3D printed creative decor and trinkets are interesting, Ferrell said students who have completed research in a university or industry setting show an extra level of investment. 

“I really love to see people that are so passionate about this work that they’re willing to spend those extra hours and evenings to take on the research projects and sit by the pieces of equipment and tend to the apparatus to make sure it’s working and get robust, reliable and important results,” said Ferrell, who is also leading the pallet project.

He added that the ASCC has several of re:3D’s printers on site and has established a good relationship with their company and reputation for materials development, specifically for bio materials and composites. “When we were looking for a partner,” he said, “it was an obvious choice to seek them out.”

In a competitive field like engineering, internships are invaluable resources to help students get jobs after they graduate. Some aim for two by the end of their senior year. Morton said he applied to over a dozen for the summer between his sophomore and junior years. He heard back from just two or three and took the one at the ASCC. It has a reputation among engineering students as a place to gain field experience and secure internships.

“It’s something I feel like every single engineering student knows about and is privy to, and then they want to go there because of all the cool projects,” said Sawyer Richard, a senior from Cape Elizabeth and ASCC intern. “It’s a great experience, and it’s great on the resume — great across the board.”

Siamak Shams Es-Haghi, a polymer engineer and assistant research professor of rheology and polymer science at the ASCC, recruited the three students from a class he taught, trained them and designed their experiments. He has also been supervising them throughout their internship and is the research lead for the project.

Jack Bernardo, the third intern and a junior from Rhode Island, said every step of their experimental process required a different machine they had to learn how to use. Morton said that they also had to familiarize themselves with different software for data analysis and graphing.

“It allows you to understand how a lot of different things work, because nine out of 10 things that we buy have some level, some amount of plastic in them,” Bernardo said. “If we can make those better, I don’t see a reason not to.”

All three interns see their work intricately tied to the environment and hope to forge more sustainable practices as mechanical engineers.

Samantha Snabes, co-founder of re:3D, said interns bring energy and enthusiasm to the workplace that reminds her how cool her job is. Snabes added that re:3D has hired several undergraduate and graduate interns and helped others secure jobs with industry partners. 

“I’d say the number one thing that I want to do with my career, one way or another, is either make life better for the future or for us now,” Richard said. “That’s the mantra of engineering in general, is to make life better and safer for everyone around us.” 

Contact: Ashley Yates; ashley.depew@maine.edu and MJ Gautrau; mj.gautrau@maine.edu

The research team integrated advanced computer modeling with physical experiments to better understand how printed parts will perform under stress. Their work focused on gyroid infill, an intricate, repeating internal structure commonly employed in 3D printing to minimize weight while preserving structural integrity. Computer simulations analyzed the gyroid’s response to forces before the team experimented on 3D-printed prototypes.

Philip Bean, research engineer at the ASCC; Senthil Vel, professor of mechanical engineering; and Roberto Lopez-Anido, professor of civil engineering, made up the research team. Their study, published in , offers insights into how internal pattern contributes to a part’s overall performance.

Read the full story on the .

Contact: Taylor Ward; taylor.ward@maine.edu

The five-day celebration will showcase science and technology happening in Maine in the format of an arts or music festival, with events for all ages. Programming includes forums, workshops, talks and hands-on activities. The full schedule can be found on its .

During the festival’s Field Trip Day on March 21, the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center, the 91���� Space and AI initiatives, the Department of Communication and Journalism and Sheila Edalatpour, associate professor of mechanical engineering, will join other presenters in showcasing their work to middle school students at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H, the Versant Power Astronomy Center, the 91���� Society of Physics Students and 91���� Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology will join 20 other exhibitors in offering hands-on educational activities during the Exploration Stations event at 9 a.m. on March 22 at the Cross Insurance Center. 

Also at the center on March 22, Nikita Saini, a Ph.D. student in physics and astronomy, will deliver a talk titled “Worlds Beyond Our Sun: Exploring the Architecture and Evolution of Alien Planetary Systems” at 1:30 p.m. Christina Murphy, an assistant professor with the 91���� Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology and assistant unit leader of Maine’s U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, will present “Fish Printing — freshwater fishes of Maine” at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room B. 

During the festival’s headlining event, 5 Minute Genius, at 7 p.m. in Husson University’s Gracie Theatre, 91���� faculty members will join other experts across the state in delivering rapid-fire talks about their work. Participants will include Downeast Institute Director of Research Brian Beal, also a professor of marine ecology at the University of Maine at Machias; Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences; Danelle Levesque, associate professor of mammalogy and mammalian health; and Mac Stetzer, associate professor of physics. 

On March 23, Daniel Sandweiss, professor of anthropology and climate studies and member of the National Academy of Sciences, will present “Invisible Lines, Tangible Impacts: The Anthropology of Borders​” with undergraduate student Obie Casperson at 11:30 a.m. in Penobscot Theatre Company’s Dramatic Academy. Also in the academy, graduate student Aleandra Scearce; Rachel Schattman, an assistant professor of sustainable agriculture; and Sue Hunter, owner of Hunter Farm in Unity, will deliver a talk titled “PFAS and Agriculture.”

Their paper, “,” highlights how CFRTPs are highly valued for their strength-to-weight ratio, recyclability and corrosion resistance, making them an ideal candidate for sustainable construction and infrastructure applications.

Authors, including ASCC engineers James Haller, Jacob Clark, James Gayton, Michael Hunter, Andrew Schanck and Cody Sheltra, as well as, as well as William Davids, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Roberto Lopez-Anido, professor of civil engineering; and Justin Lapp, assistant professor of design, won the . This honor, presented at the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) in San Diego, California, celebrates innovative research that advances the composites and advanced materials industries.

Manufacturing hurdles associated with thermoplastics have prevented their widespread adoption and created a pressing need for innovative materials and processes that balance performance, sustainability and practicality.

The researchers introduced several manufacturing processes, including the , and developed localized thermoforming techniques that demonstrate the potential for CFRTPs to revolutionize sustainable construction by enabling efficient, lightweight manufacturing that can be shaped and installed in the field. This would make it possible to create structural components such as concrete reinforcing bars and complex shapes with multi-axial reinforcement that are recyclable, durable and environmentally friendly.

Read the full story from the ASCC . 

Contact: MJ Gautrau, mj.gautrau@maine.edu��

As a primary Tech Hub partner, 91���� will provide world-class innovation expertise, cutting-edge bioproducts equipment and infrastructure, and intellectual property to build talent pipelines and help private sector companies rapidly accelerate product commercialization and operational growth.

“Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub represents the future of sustainable innovation, building on two centuries of forest industry leadership and 160 years of University of Maine excellence in research, development and education along with world-class facilities,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, as well as vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System. “This investment will transform cutting-edge ideas into real-world solutions, powered by the expertise of our talented faculty, staff and students. Together with our partners, we are charting a bold course to position Maine as a global leader in sustainable materials, economic growth and innovation.”

91����’s Forest Bioproducts Technology Maturation Program, funded at $10.5 million in the award announced this week, will support startups and established companies in the forest bioproducts space. 

“The technology maturation program will provide companies with the talent, expertise and access to equipment to demonstrate new technologies and manufacturing processes at commercial scale, unlocking the potential for forest biomaterials to reach new high-value markets such as plastics and fuels replacements, textiles, building materials, biomedical applications and packaging, and create new economic development opportunities in Maine and beyond,” said Renee Kelly, associate vice president for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources, and Engagement. 

From tailored work plans that include specific technical and business development milestones to access to a robust network of companies and research institutions and facilities, companies who participate in the Technology Maturation Program will receive wraparound support from 91����. In addition to facilitating technology development for individual companies, 91���� will work with companies with similar technical barriers to help reach new markets. The opportunity to work directly with experts at 91���� facilities, including the Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC), Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) and Process Development Center (PDC), will allow companies to test and validate new bioproducts and processes, focusing on scaling production and meeting safety standards. Finally, students, including undergraduate-, graduate- and doctoral-level innovation fellows, will be embedded with participating companies to support their growth.

“91����’s near-commercial scale Process Development Center has a decades-long history of advancing biobased technologies,” said Colleen Walker, director of the PDC. “Our team is very excited to expand our work with emerging companies and offer access to our expertise and facilities to propel the development of forest-based bioproducts through the Forest Bioproducts Technology Maturation Program.”

“Tanbark is excited to be part of the Tech Hub network,” said Melissa LaCasse, co-founder and CEO of Tanbark Molded Fiber Products. “We see many opportunities to accelerate new forest biomaterials applications in collaboration with 91����, and to work with talented students who are the future of our skilled workforce.”

Maine is one of just six Tech Hubs selected to receive an award under new funding for the Tech Hubs Program included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

More about Maine’s Tech Hub can be found at .

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu��

Scheduled for completion in 2026, GEM represents a nearly $82 million investment in interdisciplinary research and innovative education. This facility has been designed to meet the research and education needs in advanced manufacturing, as well to train the engineering and computing workforce, which is essential to support and grow the state and nation’s economies. GEM will operate as a partnership between the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), the Maine College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), with opportunities for other programs and industries on campus and remotely.

“This project started as an ambitious vision, and it is becoming a reality thanks to interdisciplinary collaboration and a vision that integrates research and learning,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of 91���� and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias. “We are grateful for all who have made this investment in this public university research facility.

“As a national research institution with R1 Carnegie classification, 91���� has the talent and reputation for innovation and achievement,” she continued. “Once completed, GEM will create even greater opportunities for our students, faculty, staff and partners to address a multitude of economic and societal needs for Maine and beyond.”

GEM will also serve as a large-scale digital additive and hybrid manufacturing test bed for entrepreneurs and companies looking to integrate advanced manufacturing and sustainable technologies into their operations. With a focus on bio-based materials and sustainable technologies, GEM aims to leverage Maine’s competitive strengths and drive investment in sustainable manufacturing.

GEM will work with industry to manufacture affordable housing, marine vessel production, and renewable energy and civil infrastructure components, all while using bio-based materials.

GEM’s role is to conduct the advanced manufacturing research and workforce development training so that these new technologies can be transitioned to industry. Students at all levels, from visiting K-12 students to doctoral candidates, will experience the innovative FoF environment through interactive, distributed and connected learning spaces.

GEM will allow students to move from interactive classroom spaces with University of Maine System-wide access; to immersive learning within the mini-GEM, a microcosm of the full laboratory; up to working within the two large manufacturing bays, researching how best to design and manufacture homes, boats and other products. 

“The GEM FoF will usher in a new era of digital manufacturing, using renewable materials, at the nexus of engineering and computing. This immersive education and research facility takes the next step in large-scale flexible additive and hybrid manufacturing with the goal to produce large, integrated systems in a closed-loop digital manufacturing environment powered by high-performance computing and artificial intelligence,” said Habib Dagher, executive director of ASCC. 

“GEM is a cornerstone of the strategic vision at the University of Maine which, in collaboration with all campuses across the University of Maine System, emphasizes experiential learning, research and teaching integration. It is an important example of how research centers and colleges will collaborate to transform education,” said Giovanna Guidoboni, dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. “Often, academic buildings host classrooms and research laboratories that enable small-scale prototyping. In this transformative building, students can take the leap from ideating a proof of concept to manufacturing a large-scale market-ready product. This leap seems enormous; yet, this is what is needed to grow our economy. Here, we make this possible.”

“By providing transformative learning experiences that blend theory with practice, we prepare our students to tackle real-world challenges, aligning with our goal of producing highly skilled graduates who are ready to lead in their fields”, said Emily Haddad, dean of CLAS. “GEM’s learning spaces are designed to promote interaction, both in person and at a distance, and they will facilitate students’  transition  to experiential learning environments.”

“Maine has the leading role in hybrid and additive manufacturing to produce large-scale products driven by new technology in industries such as clean technologies, boat building, and transportation technologies, ” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. “A treasure of new products, new opportunities and a new future lay in store with GEM.”

“The Harold Alfond Foundation has always believed that education is key to a skilled workforce” said Greg Powell, chair of the Harold Alfond Foundation. “But it’s more than that. The skilled workforce that we have has to be a workforce for tomorrow and has to be energized and inspired by the things that we do. Life has to be more than a job, it has to be inspirational, and one of the key attributes of GEM is how inspirational it is and how it will inspire students of today with the possibilities of the future.”

GEM is supported by several funding sources, including the Harold Alfond Foundation through UMS TRANSFORMS, 91����, UMS, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Maine Jobs & Recovery Act, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the state of Maine and the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Catalyst Program.

Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu.

The 2024 projects will involve developing research innovations in environmentally-friendly advanced manufacturing, web privacy protections, water filtration for a group of chemicals known as PFAS, and accelerated soil carbonation to reduce carbon emissions from construction.

MIRTA, coordinated by 91����’s Foster Center for Innovation, assists teams from research institutions throughout the state in advancing lab discoveries into public and commercial use. Teams work 20 hours per week for 16 weeks doing market research, intellectual property analysis and business model development to bring their inventions to market. Guiding them throughout the process are business incubation staff from the Foster Center.��

Additionally, each team has an advisory committee of industry and technology experts who provide feedback and advice. The teams are eligible to receive up to $25,000 each to help develop commercialization implementation plans.

To kick off the program, this year’s cohort recently completed an immersive boot camp designed to introduce them to all aspects of the commercialization process.��

Commercialization plans vary depending on the type of invention a team brings to MIRTA, and the result could be starting a new company or licensing to an existing one.

From the 26 teams in the first six MIRTA cohorts, eight new startups have been formed and the teams have collectively raised more than $6.4 million in external funding and prototype sales to support ongoing commercialization. Five MIRTA teams have been selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps, an immersive entrepreneurial training program that facilitates the transformation of invention to impact.��

Companies that have been formed after participation in MIRTA include , winner of the $25,000 David Shaw prize at the statewide Top Gun accelerator program in 2019, and selected to join the first cohort of the Roux Institute Startup Residency Program in 2021. In 2022, was the first runner up in the Greenlight Maine Collegiate edition and was also the winner of Maine Venture Fund’s “Maine Startup Challenge” for the collegiate tier.

MIRTA is made possible by support from the University of Maine System Research Reinvestment Fund (RRF) and the Maine Technology Institute. RRF is a pool of competitive internal grants allocated to advance research projects along the path from discovery to becoming commercial products with public benefit. All projects are tied to Maine businesses or industries critical to the future of the state.

The MIRTA 7.0 teams are:��

Continuous Forming Machine

This team aims to make manufacturing and construction more environmentally friendly by commercializing the Continuous Forming Machine (CFM) developed at 91����. The CFM is an advanced manufacturing platform designed to produce high-strength plastic composite components using a unique, nonreactive pultrusion process. This method allows the use of recyclable thermoplastics, reducing waste and minimizing harmful emissions. The machine can operate at high speeds, adapt to various thermoplastic materials, and integrate seamlessly with other advanced manufacturing techniques. This makes the CFM a significant innovation for producing customized, sustainable parts for multiple industries and applications.

The team is led by Cody Sheltra, project lead and R&D program manager with 91����’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and includes Sam Heathcote, Noah Pringle, Michael Hunter and Zane Dustin.

PriGen: Automated Privacy Generator

PriGen is a powerful tool designed to help developers integrate privacy protections seamlessly into their app development activities. Developers may lack the resources or expertise to effectively address privacy concerns. PriGen supports them throughout the entire development process. Before developers even start building an app, PriGen helps them outline the necessary privacy requirements to ensure they understand what needs to be done. During and after development, PriGen uses advanced machine learning to scan app code to identify where personal information is used. It then generates clear descriptions to inform users how their personal information is handled. In today’s world, privacy is not only expected by users, but is required by regulators and various app stores’ policies. With PriGen, developers can confidently create apps that prioritize user privacy, ensure compliance with regulations, maintain their reputation, avoid privacy breaches and fines and foster trust.

The team behind PriGen is led by Sepideh Ghanavati, 91���� associate professor of computer science, and includes Vijayanta Jain, Sara Haghighi, and Wilder Baldwin.

Graphene-Enabled PFAS Water Treatment:

This project is about creating a new, advanced water filter that uses graphene to clean drinking water by removing PFAS, toxic pollutants found in many water sources that can be dangerous to human health. Graphene has unique properties that make it excellent for trapping these pollutants. The team’s goal is to design a filter that removes PFAS effectively and can be used repeatedly without having to be replaced. This filter is meant for home use but could be redesigned for larger-scale water systems like those in cities. By doing this, the team hopes to provide cleaner and safer drinking water, improving everyone’s health and the environment.

The team behind the project is co-led by 91���� Libra Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Onur Apul and postdoctoral research associate Manisha Choudhary, and includes Kenneth Mensah.

Accelerated Carbonization for Soil Stabilization��

Chemical stabilization is when cement, lime or slag are mixed with soil to strengthen it. This universally adopted method supports infrastructure such as roads and buildings. Producing these materials, however, releases much carbon dioxide, contributing to about 8% of the world’s emissions. Reducing these emissions is essential for fighting climate change. An emerging alternative is accelerated soil carbonation. This method uses carbon dioxide to create a binder that cements soil particles together, achieving the same goal as chemical stabilization. Unlike traditional methods, which don’t capture carbon dioxide, accelerated carbonation can reduce emissions by 50-70%. Developing ways to use this new method on a larger scale offers a commercial opportunity and supports government efforts to reduce carbon emissions in construction.

The team behind this project is led by Aaron Gallant, 91���� associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, Team Lead), and includes Sebastian Montoya.

Contact: Anthony Durante, Director of New Ventures, anthony.durante@maine.edu

Amid rough ocean waves and high winds, a jack-up crane vessel would lift a blade several hundred meters high to connect it to the top of the tower, one of the most critical stages in OWT construction. Before the blade could be attached to the hub, the tower and nacelle, which houses the components that convert wind into electricity, would shake erratically, forming complex orbits.��

Such motions put workers’ safety at risk and could cause delays in the installation process and increased costs. Incidents like these involving large tower-top motions during offshore wind farm development are not uncommon, yet there are no resources for predicting precisely when they will occur and to what extent.

Through scaled model testing and generative artificial intelligence (AI), Amrit Verma, University of Maine assistant professor of mechanical engineering, aims to develop a digital twin that will help make building fixed-bottom OWTs, particularly blade installation, safer and more cost-effective.��

“A digital twin represents a virtual copy of a physical object or system that closely resembles and operates like the real-life version. By integrating the data from sensors on the physical system with computer simulations, digital twins can forecast how a system will respond to different real-world situations in near real-time.” Verma said.��

Verma is leading this effort to create a generative AI model that can forecast tower top motions in real time under different wind and wave dynamics and OWT configurations. Yifeng Zhu, professor and chair of the 91���� Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Andrew Goupee, associate professor of mechanical engineering, are collaborating with Verma on the project, which was awarded $299,960 through the National Science Foundation’s EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) funding mechanism. EAGER supports exploratory work in the early stages on untested but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches that are considered high-risk, but high-reward.

Verma and Goupee are also faculty affiliates of 91����’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), which has been a global leader in developing next-generation offshore wind technologies for nearly two decades. Three 91���� students, Saravanan Bhaskaran, Max Kruse and Aenor Codjo, are also contributing to the research.

“The installation of an OWT is a complex and costly process restricted by favorable weather conditions. During the installation, one of the most critical phases is the blade mating process during which the blades are connected to the hub,” Verma said. “Due to the increasing hub heights of the modern OWTs, the blades have to be lifted well over 100 meters using crane vessels, which could result in large motions at the blade root. The mating process requires a very high degree of precision, and damage to blade root has been reported in the past. Currently, there is relatively limited knowledge about the nature of tower top motions during installation. There is a clear need for in-depth studies and development of predictive tools to reduce the risks and uncertainty involved in the installation process.”

The team will first conduct an experiment in which they place a scale model of a wind turbine in a wave tank and characterize the tower top motions it experiences. The nature of the tower top motions can change at different wave heights, directions and periods, and across diverse turbine configurations. The experiment, which will be complemented with physics-based numerical simulations, will help make clear the specific drivers behind the orbital motions that the turbines experience, as well as support the data for the creation of a predictive model.��

With data from the experiment, the model will be able to predict the tower top motion experienced by full-scale turbines at an even greater variety of sea conditions and technical configurations in real-time. Generative AI will allow the tool to forecast different scenarios turbines may experience during construction. Researchers will train the model to handle complex data distributions.

“One of the main outcomes of this project is an open-source AI-backed digital twin model, which will be able to accurately predict the tower top motions in near real-time based on the local weather forecast data. This will ensure that the people in the industry can foresee any complications that could arise during an installation, thereby reducing the risk to human life and improving the overall efficiency of the process,” Verma said.��

The project also offers several educational opportunities for aspiring scientists and engineers. Data will be used to create new course modules and an open-source textbook. The graduate students participating in the project will receive mentorship from 91���� faculty as well as researchers from the National Renewable Energy Lab’s (NREL) campus in Golden, Colorado; Equinor, a global leader in offshore wind farm development based in Norway; and Kartorium, an Alaska-based digital twin company. Additionally, Verma and his colleagues will recruit high school students from Bangor High School to participate in various stages of the project.��

“I’m eagerly looking forward to working on this project as it is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate and learn from experts in the industry as well as from top researchers in this field,” said Bhaskaran, a Ph.D student in mechanical engineering. ”As one of the two main graduate students involved in this project, I hope to contribute significantly towards producing an impactful research output.”��

Creating new resources and experiences that offer academic and professional development in the field of offshore wind is nothing new to Verma. With support from the Governor’s Energy Office’s Clean Energy Partnership program, Verma has been spearheading the development of new courses, micro-credentials and an undergraduate concentration in offshore wind energy. He has also been devising new research and educational exchanges between 91���� and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the country’s largest university.��

“I am very excited to work on this project with Professor Verma. I look forward to the manufacturing process of our model and the testing once we are finished,” said Kruse, an undergraduate student in engineering. “The work I have done thus far has been relevant to classes I have already taken and courses that I will have in the coming semesters. I plan on focusing my career around offshore wind once I graduate. I believe this internship will create a solid foundation for future work.”��

Verma’s motivation for the project derived from his participation in 91����’s Enhanced Mentoring Program with Opportunities for Ways to Excel in Research (EMPOWER), which supports faculty seeking to achieve significant professional growth and advancement, including success in research and scholarly activities. Goupee served as Verma’s mentor during the program.��

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu